[Efficacy, safety and effect on the quality of life of gabapentin in adult epilepsy--results of a prospective open-label quasi naturalistic Hungarian multicenter study (phase human-IV)]. / A gabapentin hatékonysága, biztonságossága es az eletminoségre gyakorolt hatása felnottkori epilepsziában-- nyílt, prospektív, naturalisztikus elemeket tartalmazó, humán, IV. fázisOú, hazai, többközpontú vizsgálat ertékelése.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gabapentin (GBP) in idiopathic or crypto/symptomatic partial epilepsy in adults. METHODS: We performed a prospective open label add-on study in pharmacoresistant patients with simple or complex partial or generalized seizures of partial onset (at least four seizures per month). GBP was added to no more than two baseline antiepileptics and the efficacy was rated primarily according to the seizure frequency. The secondary efficacy parameters were the change in the seizure severity scores (measured by the NHS3 scale) and in the quality of life (measured by the QUOLIE-31 questionnaire). GBP was added up to 1500-1600 mg per day in the titration period than an individual optimalization was allowed in any further visits. The follow-up period was three months. POPULATION: Fourteen Hungarian epilepsy out-patient unit participated in the study. 72 patients were enrolled, GBP was applied in 63 persons (ITT population) and 57 completed the study. RESULTS: A more than 50% decrease in seizure frequency was found in more than 70% of the patients in the third month. Among them just every third patient became seizure-free. Significant improvement appeared also in the severity of seizures and in the total score of the quality of life questionnaire. There was no difference either according to the etiology of the epilepsy or the seizure types. GBP was tolerated excellently. There was no need to decrease of the dosage of GBP and the side effects were mild and of transitory nature. CONSEQUENCES: GBP appears to be a valuable antiepileptic drug considering its high efficacy and extremely favourable tolerance. While GBP also decreases the severity of the seizures, its complex effects result an improvement in the quality of life of the patients. The positive effects have been durable during the follow-up. Open label naturalistic studies of larger population are needed to clear the special indications of GBP in chronic partial epilepsies.

[Zinc-hyaluronate: ana original organotherapeutic compound of Gedeon Richter Ltd]. / Cink-hyaluronát, a Richter Rt. eredeti organoterápiás hatóanyaga.

Manufacturing of organotherapeutic products is the most long-standing activity of Gedeon Richter Ltd dating back to the establishment of the company in 1901. By the 1940s the company had manufactured and marketed about one hundred preparations containing tissue extracts from animals. As a result of the development of synthetic molecules, organic therapy fell into the background after World War II. Although the company followed this tendency, it continued manufacturing some organotherapeutic products as well in accordance with the requirements of the time. Since the 1950s the researchers of the company have worked on the research of glycosaminoglycans introducing the manufacture of heparin, and followed by the research of hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan) in the middle of the 1980s. In the human body hyaluronan is one of the main components of the extracellular matrix, where both in passive and active manner it affects the cellular functions through its viscoelastic molecular property and hyaluronan receptors of cells. In certain therapeutic fields such as dermatology, ophthalmology, surgery and rheumatology, these biological features of hyaluronan are used. Although most of the hyaluronan products contain sodium-hyaluronate (Na-Hy), Richter's researchers found that another metal salt of hyaluronic acid such as zinc-hyaluronate (Zn-Hy) might be more favourable in some therapeutic areas than Na-Hy. Based on this theory, Gedeon Richter Ltd. developed its original zinc associate of hyaluronic acid. It is marketed under the trade name of Curiosin intended for dermatological application including promoting of wound healing. According to the results of preclinical studies on wound healing the pharmacological profile of Zn-Hy was more favourable than that of Na-Hy, proving the free radical scavenging, antioxidant, proinflammatory effects of Zn-Hy as well as the acceleration of chronic wound healing. In clinical studies Curiosin showed its efficacy in the healing of chronic and acute wounds.