The Rufinamide patent belongs to Novartis and the rights have been sold to various companies in various countries.  It is basically used to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Rufinamide is a triazole derivative and a compound structurally distinct from currently approved AEDs. In a double blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trial Rufinamide was shown to have clinical benefit in the treatment of seizures associated with LGS, a severe form of epilepsy that develops in early childhood, and was designated as an orphan drug for this indication by the FDA in the year October 2004. Based on the key findings of two double-blind, placebo- controlled trials, Rufinamide will also be filed with the FDA as adjunctive therapy in adults and adolescents, 12 years of age and over, with partial onset seizures with and without secondary generalization.

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy and the seizures usually begin before four years of age, and children with LGS often suffer from several types of seizures. An estimated 1,400 to 4,500 new cases of LGS are diagnosed each year in the U.S., and complete recovery including freedom from the seizures and normal development is very unusual. There is no known cure for this kind of disorder.

Rufinamide also was shown to have clinical benefit as adjunctive therapy in treating adults and adolescents with partial- onset seizures with or without secondary generalization. Partial seizures affect only one area of the brain and are the most common type of seizure experienced by the people with epilepsy.

Eisai acquired the exclusive North American and European manufacturing and marketing rights to Rufinamide from Novartis Pharma AG in 2004. With the filing of Rufinamide, Eisai plans to strengthen its neurology franchise and continue to fulfill its human health care mission to satisfy unmet medical needs and increase benefits to patients and their families.