Sabril (vigabatrin) tablets are indicated as adjunctive (add-on) therapy in the treatment of complex partial seizures (previously called temporal lobe seizures, psychomotor seizures or limbic seizures) in adults, generally taken as 18 years old or older. The medication may be used in complex partial seizures with or without secondary generalization to tonic-clonic seizures. In should only be used after other safer medicines have been found not to work. Usually, Sabril is added when another seizure medicine is not controlling seizures, rather than being used by itself; however, an experienced physician may choose to try Sabril as a single agent in some circumstances.

Sabril (vigabatrin) oral solution (mixed from the powder and water) is indicated for children with infantile spasms. Infantile spasms are a type of seizure disorder beginning between 1 month and 2 years of life. The babies have spasms of the limb and neck muscles resulting in sudden flexion or extension of the arms or legs. The seizures are brief, but may cluster. Some episodes are so subtle as to not be recognized as seizures; others are stronger and more obvious. Infantile spasms can be associated with developmental delay (previously called mental retardation) and a characteristic EEG (brainwave) abnormality called hypsarrhythmia. When these three go together, the condition is known as West’s syndrome. Infantile spasms can be of unknown cause or they can be a symptom of another neurological condition, for example, tuberous sclerosis.

Infantile spasms are difficult to treat. Standard therapy has been with a type of steroid injection called ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone). This injection has considerable side effects if used for more than a few weeks, and it is increasingly hard to obtain. Other medications have been tried, but evidence of benefit is strongest for vigabatrin, especially when infantile spasms result from tuberous sclerosis.

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