Levetiracetam

Uncommon card · No. 121945

Levetiracetam, sold under the brand name Keppra among others, is an anti-seizure medication (medication) used to treat epilepsy. It is used for partial-onset, myoclonic, or tonic–clonic seizures, and is taken either by mouth as an immediate or extended release formulation or by injection into a vein. Common side effects of levetiracetam include sleepiness, dizziness, and aggression. Severe side effects may include psychosis, suicide, and allergic reactions such as Stevens–Johnson syndrome or anaphylaxis. Levetiracetam is the S-enantiomer of etiracetam. It acts as a synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) ligand. Levetiracetam was approved for medical use in the United States in 1999 and is available as a generic medication. In 2023, it was the 101st most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 6 million prescriptions. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines and among the most commonly prescribed anti-seizure medications in the world.

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