The analysis, published in Medical Decision Making, a publication of the Society for Medical Decision Making, focuses on the cost-effectiveness of epileptic drugs licensed for British adults in three specific situations.

The objective of the study was to consolidate available evidence, to bring it together within a decision model, and to quantify the uncertainty associated with cost effectiveness, the study said.

Drug therapy is the main treatment for epilepsy, but there is not a uniform approach to the selection or sequencing of anti-epileptic drug therapies, according to the researchers.

The analysis showed that, based on existing studies, two older drugs, valproate and carbamazepine, are likely to be more cost-effective than newer agents for newly diagnosed patients with partial seizures.