Urgent action is being taken by prescribing and medicines management committees to review and amend local formularies to ensure levetiracetam granules are included as “Prescribe by Brand – Desitrend® Coated Granules”. Some are also using decision support tools, such as ScriptSwitch and Optimise Rx to help facilitate the change at primary care level.
This action is being undertaken in response to the introduction in 2023, of a generic “Levetiracetam granules for oral solution”. This new generic product (which does not offer any cost advantage) has significant differences to Desitrend Coated Granules.
Desitrend Coated Granules can be taken with only 10mls water or mixed with food, making them suitable for patients who are unable to swallow tablets (dysphagia), or at risk of aspiration pneumonia from large volumes of liquid, as well as for children with epilepsy under the age of 12 years. Generic “levetiracetam granules for oral solution” need to be dissolved in 250ml of water and are not licensed to be sprinkled on food.
Non-branded generic levetiracetam granules for oral solution contain carbohydrates unlike Desitrend Coated Granules, which are carbohydrate-free and suitable for patients requiring a ketogenic diet (sometimes followed by people with epilepsy).
Desitrend is the only formulation of levetiracetam licensed to be administered via a feeding tube, whereas non-branded generic levetiracetam granules are not licensed to be given this way.
Therefore, generic levetiracetam granules for oral solution are not suitable for younger patients with epilepsy, those who have dysphagia, a learning disability, a feeding tube (due to the large volume of liquid needed to be swallowed), or those who are following a ketogenic diet. If generic levetiracetam granules for oral solution are inadvertently prescribed or dispensed instead of Desitrend Coated Granules, this could have a negative impact on vulnerable patient groups, living with epilepsy.
Now that levetiracetam granules are being clearly included as “Prescribe by Brand – Desitrend coated granules” on primary, secondary and joint formularies, it is hoped that patients will receive the correct version of levetiracetam granules originally intended by their epilepsy specialist.
For more information contact: Desitin at [email protected]
Desitin Pharma is a European pharmaceutical company with a 100 year history of research and development for the innovative management of neurological disorders, particularly in the fields of epilepsy and Parkinson’s syndrome.
Link to SmPC: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/2883/smpc#gref
Prescribing information can be found HERE.
