Two medicines, side by side
Levetiracetam vs valproic acid
Levetiracetam and valproic acid are both labeled for seizures and epilepsy. Drugs@FDA records approvals of levetiracetam since 1999 and of valproic acid since 1978. Pharmacies paid $0.0736 per levetiracetam 500 mg tablet and $0.243 per valproic acid 250 mg capsule (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. Only the valproic acid label carries a boxed warning.
Check it at the source: the levetiracetam FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 28, 2026); the valproic acid FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 24, 2025).
Highlights of the levetiracetam record
Levetiracetam (Keppra) · label of January 28, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsKEPPRA is indicated for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 1 month of age and older ( 1.1 ) KEPPRA is indicated for adjunctive therapy for the treatment of: Myoclonic seizures in patients 12 years of age and older with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy ( 1.2 ) Primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in patients 6 years of age and older with idiopathic generalized epilepsy ( 1.3 ) 1.1 Partial-Onset […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 30, 1999
- Generic labelers
- 84 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0736 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 15
Highlights of the valproic acid record
Valproic acid (Depakene) · label of January 24, 2025
LIFE THREATENING ADVERSE REACTIONS WARNING: LIFE THREATENING ADVERSE REACTIONS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Hepatotoxicity, including fatalities, usually during the first 6 months of treatment. Children under the age of two years and patients with mitochondrial disorders are at higher risk.
Used for
From the label: indicationsValproic acid is indicated for: Monotherapy and adjunctive therapy of complex partial seizures; sole and adjunctive therapy of simple and complex absence seizures; adjunctive therapy in patients with multiple seizure types that include absence seizures ( 1 ) 1.1 Epilepsy Valproic acid is indicated as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in the treatment of patients with complex partial seizures that occur either in isolation or in association with other types of seizures. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 28, 1978
- Generic labelers
- 22 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.243 per capsule
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- Listed; available
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Levetiracetam label of January 28, 2026, Valproic acid label of January 24, 2025); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do levetiracetam and valproic acid differ on the record?
Only the valproic acid label carries a boxed warning.
How each works, in its label's words: Levetiracetam, “A saturable and stereoselective neuronal binding site in rat brain tissue has been described for levetiracetam.”; Valproic acid, “Valproic acid dissociates to the valproate ion in the gastrointestinal tract.”
Half-life, in each label's words: Levetiracetam, “Following oral administration of twice-daily dosing for 10 days, total body clearance decreased by 38% and the …”; Valproic acid, “Mean terminal half-life for valproate monotherapy ranged from 9 to 16 hours following oral dosing regimens of 250 to …”
Generics: levetiracetam since 2008; valproic acid since 1986 (Drugs@FDA).
| Levetiracetam | Valproic acid | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Seizures and epilepsy | Seizures and epilepsy, Migraine |
| Pharmacologic class | n/a | Anti-epileptic Agent, Mood Stabilizer |
| How it works (label) | The precise mechanism(s) by which levetiracetam exerts its antiepileptic effect is unknown. A saturable and stereoselective neuronal binding site in rat brain tissue has been described for levetiracetam. | Valproic acid dissociates to the valproate ion in the gastrointestinal tract. The mechanisms by which valproate exerts its therapeutic effects have not been established. |
| Half-life (label) | Following oral administration of twice-daily dosing for 10 days, total body clearance decreased by 38% and the half-life was 2.5 hours longer in the elderly compared to healthy adults. | Mean terminal half-life for valproate monotherapy ranged from 9 to 16 hours following oral dosing regimens of 250 to 1,000 mg. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | November 30, 1999 | February 28, 1978 |
| First generic approved | November 4, 2008 | February 28, 1986 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 84 labelers | 22 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0736 per tablet (Levetiracetam 500 mg tablet) | $0.243 per capsule (Valproic acid 250 mg capsule) |
| 12-month price change | -5% | -4% |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Shortage now | No current entry | Listed; available |
| Recalls recorded | 15 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 132,823 | 51,380 |
| 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?
Levetiracetam label, drug interactionsIn addition, levetiracetam does not affect the in vitro glucuronidation of valproic acid.
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA
What next?
- Alternatives to levetiracetam
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions