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Levetiracetam Treatment of Neonatal Seizures: Safety and Efficacy Phase II Study

Levetiracetam Efficacy and Safety as First-line Treatment of Neonatal Seizures Occuring in Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy Context

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02229123
Acronym
LEVNEONAT-1
Enrollment
18
Registered
2014-08-29
Start date
2018-02-27
Completion date
2022-02-23
Last updated
2025-12-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Neonatal Seizures

Keywords

seizures, neonates, anticonvulsant treatment, levetiracetam, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, electroencephalography

Brief summary

LEVNEONAT is a multicentre French clinical trials with the aim to develop new treatment strategies for the treatment of neonatal seizures using Levetiracetam. The purpose of this study is to determine the correct dosing, safety and efficacy for intravenous levetiracetam as first line treatment in term newborn babies with seizures in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy context. This new anticonvulsivant drug is a promising treatment for seizures in newborns.

Detailed description

Article Focus * The principal aim of LEVNEONAT-1 is to determine the levetiracetam optimal dose defined as the highest efficient dose under toxicity restrictions for treating neonatal seizures. * LEVNEONAT-1 is an open-label, sequential dose-finding study with 3 increasing dose levels of levetiracetam. Strenghts and limitation of study * For the first time, levetiracetam will be used as the first-line treatment of neonatal seizures and not as an add-on therapy. * Statistical model is designed for a rare clinical situation with a sequential adaptive method updating in real time the dose allocation for next patient by using all available data from previous participants. * The targeted population, i.e. the newborn less than 3 days of life, is particularly sensitive and the written consent of both parents is required before the levetiracetam administration.

Interventions

Open-study. If seizure lasting more than 3 minutes on EEG recording or brief repeated seizures (more or equal to 2 seizures lasting more than 20 seconds on a 1 hour-interval), the loading-dose of LEV allocated to patient is infused followed by the 8 maintenance dose.

Sponsors

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
CollaboratorOTHER
Rennes University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Amiens University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
University Hospital, Tours
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

LEVNEONAT-1 is an open and sequential dose-finding study with 1 loading dose of 30, 40 and 50 mg/kg and 8 quarter-loading maintenance doses for a 3-day treatment. The optimal dose will be the one estimated to be associated with a toxicity not exceeding 10% and an efficacy higher than 60%. Efficacy has been defined by a seizure burden reduction of 80% after the loading dose. A 2-patient cohort will be necessary at each dose level to consider an upper dose level assignment with a dynamic consideration of each participant data. The maximal sample size expected is 30 participants patients.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
36 Weeks to 43 Weeks
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Eligibility Criteria: 1. Male or female term baby with gestational age of 36-43 weeks and postnatal age \< or= 72 hours 2. One or more of the following : * APGAR score \< 5 at 5 mins * Umbilical cord or arterial blood sample (within one hour after birth): pH \<7.0 or base deficit \> or = 16 mmol/L or lactates \> or equal to 11 mmol/L * Abnormal neurological examination before 6 hours of life 3. Suspected clinical or EEG seizures Inclusion criteria: * A seizure lasting more than 3 minutes or more than 2 seizures lasting more than 20 seconds on a 1 hour-period on standard EEG recording 4 hours before the levetiracetam loading dose * Availability of 8 electrode EEG recording * Written informed consent of both parents or the authorized guardians * Subscription to social security health insurance are required

Exclusion criteria

* Suspected or confirmed brain malformation, inborn error of metabolism, genetic syndrome or major congenital malformation * Congenital (in utero) infection (TORCH) * Babies who have received phenobarbital or any other anticonvulsive medication other than a bolus of midazolam for intubation * Anuria/renal failure defined as serum creatinine \> 150 micromol/L * Seizures secondary to treatable metabolic etiology as hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia * Corrected QT interval (QTc) greater than 450 milliseconds on the electrocardiogram (ECG) prior to inclusion in the presence or absence of a condition that promotes QT prolongation (hypokalemia, maternal treatment during childbirth or treatment of the child with drugs known to prolong QT), * Participation to an interventional research study

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Levetiracetam Efficacy on EEG recordingthe period just before the LEV loading dose (from 20 min to 3 hours) and the 3 hour time-interval from 1 hour 15 min (T11/4) to 4 hours 15 min (T41/4) after the starting of loading dose infusion (T0)Efficacy has been defined as an 80% reduction of seizure burden on EEG recording.
Levetiracetam Short-Term Toxicity6 days from the loading doseShort-term toxicity focuses on 4 adverse events potentially attributable to LEV occurring in the 6 days following the loading dose: i) Severe apnoea leading to mechanical ventilation during the 4-hour period following the LEV infusion; ii) Anaphylactic shock occurring during the 30 minutes following the LEV infusion; iii) Toxic epidermic necrosis; iv) Stevens-Jonhson Syndrome. Short-term toxicity has been designed to trigger quickly a decreasing dose allocation to the next potential participant through a e-CRF alert.
Levetiracetam Long-Term Toxicity30 days from the loading doseLong-term toxicity includes all the adverse events observed and declared to the pharmacovigilance unit up to the hospital discharge or the 30th day of life at the latest.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Levetiracetam Loading Dose Area under Curve30 min, 4 hours and 7 hours after the end of Levetiracetam loading dose infusionndividual PK parameters will be estimated and used to calculated the AUC corresponding to the loading dose, after the first maintenance dose.
Levetiracetam Entire Treatment Area Under Curveat 30 min, 4 hours and 7 hours after the end of loading dose infusion, respectively and at 1 to 3 hours and 12 hours to 18 hours after the last Levetiracetam maintenance dose, respectively.Individual PK parameters will be estimated and used to calculated the cumulative AUC of the entire treatment.
Levetiracetam Elimination Clearanceat 30 min, 4 hours and 7 hours after the end of loading dose infusion, respectively and at 1 to 3 hours and 12 hours to 18 hours after the last levetiracetam maintenance dose, respectively.The mean values of the elimination clearance and their respective interindividual variability will be estimated.
Levetiracetam Efficacy according to the seizure burden intensity prior to loading doseafter the complete recruting periodA new analysis will be performed retrospectively by adjusting the efficacy criteria to the seizure burden on the pre-treatment EEG. Two subgroups will be considered according to the seizure burden (SB) intensity on the pre-treatment EEG, i.e equal or above to 50% of the EEG recording duration (high SB group) and strictly under 50% of it (low SB group), respectively. LEV efficacy will be considered positive when a SB reduction of 50% will be observed on the post-treatment EEG recording in the high SB group whereas the reduction of 80% will be still valid for the low SB group.
Seizure recurrence from the Efficacy criteria completion to day 6from 4h15 after the loading dose to 6 daysClinical or electric seizures recurrence after the efficacy criteria assessment and up to the complete levetiracetam elimination (estimated 5 half-life) will be reported by investigator.
Levetiracetam Distribution Volumeat 30 min, 4 hours and 7 hours after the end of loading dose infusion, respectively and at 1 to 3 hours and 12 hours to 18 hours after the last levetiracetam maintenance dose, respectively.The mean values of distribution volumes and their respective interindividual variability will be estimated.
Plasmatic Levetiracetam Maximal Concentration30 min, 4 hours and 7 hours after the end of Levetiracetam loading dose infusionPlasmatic Peak Value of Levetiracetam Loading dose will be assessed.

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 22, 2026