Two medicines, side by side
Eslicarbazepine vs carbamazepine
Eslicarbazepine and carbamazepine are both labeled for seizures and epilepsy. Drugs@FDA records approvals of eslicarbazepine since 2013 and of carbamazepine since 1968. Pharmacies paid $1.68 per eslicarbazepine 200 mg tablet and $0.119 per carbamazepine 200 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026). Only the carbamazepine label carries a boxed warning.
Check it at the source: the eslicarbazepine FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 10, 2023); the carbamazepine FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 20, 2026).
Highlights of the eslicarbazepine record
Eslicarbazepine (Aptiom) · label of November 10, 2023
Used for
From the label: indicationsAPTIOM is indicated for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older. APTIOM is indicated for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 8, 2013
- Generic labelers
- 9 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $1.68 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Highlights of the carbamazepine record
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) · label of August 20, 2026
SERIOUS DERMATOLOGIC REACTIONS AND HLA-B*1502 ALLELE SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL DERMATOLOGIC REACTIONS, INCLUDING TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS (TEN) AND STEVENS-JOHNSON SYNDROME (SJS), HAVE BEEN REPORTED DURING TREATMENT WITH TEGRETOL. THESE REACTIONS ARE ESTIMATED TO OCCUR IN 1 TO 6 PER 10,000 NEW USERS IN COUNTRIES WITH MAINLY CAUCASIAN POPULATIONS, BUT THE RISK IN SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 10 TIMES HIGHER.
Used for
From the label: indicationsEpilepsy Tegretol is indicated for use as an anticonvulsant drug. Evidence supporting efficacy of Tegretol as an anticonvulsant was derived from active drug-controlled studies that enrolled patients with the following seizure types: Partial seizures with complex symptomatology (psychomotor, temporal lobe). Patients with these seizures appear to show greater improvement than those with other types. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- March 11, 1968
- Generic labelers
- 42 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.119 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- A presentation being discontinued
- Recalls
- 11
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Eslicarbazepine label of November 10, 2023, Carbamazepine label of August 20, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do eslicarbazepine and carbamazepine differ on the record?
Only the carbamazepine label carries a boxed warning.
How each works, in its label's words: Eslicarbazepine, “APTIOM is extensively converted to eslicarbazepine, which is considered to be responsible for therapeutic effects in humans.”; Carbamazepine, “It appears to act by reducing polysynaptic responses and blocking the post-tetanic potentiation.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Eslicarbazepine, “The apparent half-life of eslicarbazepine in plasma was 13-20 hours in adult epilepsy patients.”; Carbamazepine, “Initial half-life values range from 25 to 65 hours, decreasing to 12 to 17 hours on repeated doses.”
Generics: eslicarbazepine since 2021; carbamazepine since 1986 (Drugs@FDA).
| Eslicarbazepine | Carbamazepine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Seizures and epilepsy | Bipolar disorder, Seizures and epilepsy |
| Pharmacologic class | n/a | Mood Stabilizer |
| How it works (label) | APTIOM is extensively converted to eslicarbazepine, which is considered to be responsible for therapeutic effects in humans. | Mechanism of Action Tegretol has demonstrated anticonvulsant properties in rats and mice with electrically and chemically induced seizures. It appears to act by reducing polysynaptic responses and blocking the post-tetanic potentiation. |
| Half-life (label) | The apparent half-life of eslicarbazepine in plasma was 13-20 hours in adult epilepsy patients. | Initial half-life values range from 25 to 65 hours, decreasing to 12 to 17 hours on repeated doses. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | November 8, 2013 | March 11, 1968 |
| First generic approved | June 29, 2021 | August 14, 1986 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 9 labelers | 42 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $1.68 per tablet (Eslicarbazepine 200 mg tablet) | $0.119 per tablet (Carbamazepine 200 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -52% | +0.6% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
| Recalls recorded | 0 | 11 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 3,247 | 66,615 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
Do their labels mention each other?
Eslicarbazepine label, drug interactionsDRUG INTERACTIONS Carbamazepine: May need dose adjustment for APTIOM or carbamazepine.
Eslicarbazepine label, warnings and precautionsPatients with a prior dermatologic reaction with oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, or APTIOM should ordinarily not be treated with APTIOM [see Contraindications ( 4 )].
Carbamazepine label, drug interactions… corticosteroids (e.g., prednisolone, dexamethasone), cyclosporine, dicumarol, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (e.g., felodipine), doxycycline, eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, everolimus, haloperidol, imatinib, itraconazole, lamotrigine, levothyroxine, methadone, methsuximide, mianserin, midazolam, olanzapine, oral and other hormonal contraceptives, oxcarbazepine, paliperidone, phensuximide, phenytoin …
Carbamazepine label, drug interactionsAcetaminophen, albendazole, alprazolam, aprepitant, buprenorphine, apixaban (6), bupropion, buspirone, citalopram, clobazam, clonazepam, clozapine, corticosteroids (e.g. prednisolone, dexamethasone), cyclosporin, dabigatran (6), delavirdine, desipramine, diazepam, dicumarol, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (e.g., felodipine), doxycycline, edoxaban (6), eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, everolimus, felbamate …
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to eslicarbazepine
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions