In 2000, Trileptal was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of partial seizures. It is approved for use as either monotherapy or adjunctive therapy for adults and children as young as 4 years of age.

As the name suggests, oxcarbazepine is related to carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol) and appears to be similarly effective for controlling complex partial seizures and primary and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures. It seems to cause fewer unwanted side effects in many (but not all) patients.

Oxcarbazepine is not effective against absence or myoclonic seizures.