Prescription medication · Anticonvulsant
lacosamide
Also sold as Vimpat. Lacosamide is used to treat partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 35,350
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 95% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- 2
- Recall records
What the data shows
lacosamide (Vimpat) is a prescription Anticonvulsant, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (35,350 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 95% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
lacosamide (Vimpat) is a prescription Anticonvulsant. Lacosamide is used to treat partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older.
Lacosamide is a medicine that can help control seizures. It is used to treat partial-onset seizures and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in people 4 years and older.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$2.19/unit
Generic Price
$0.11/unit
Generic Savings
95%
Generic Available
Yes (35 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Lacosamide is used to treat partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older.
Common side effects
Double vision, Headache, Dizziness
Key warnings
Lacosamide and other anti-seizure medicines may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from lacosamide's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Lacosamide is an anticonvulsant. It is thought to work by slowing down the electrical signals in the brain that cause seizures. This helps to reduce how often seizures happen.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 35,350 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for lacosamide, by number of reports
- Seizure
Seizure
6,507 reports
- Dizziness 1,612
Dizziness
1,612 reports
- Somnolence 1,404
Somnolence
1,404 reports
- Fatigue 1,376
Fatigue
1,376 reports
- Fall 1,337
Fall
1,337 reports
- Epilepsy 1,336
Epilepsy
1,336 reports
- Status Epilepticus 1,220
Status Epilepticus
1,220 reports
- Overdose 1,207
Overdose
1,207 reports
- Generalised Tonic-Clonic Seizure 1,123
Generalised Tonic-Clonic Seizure
1,123 reports
- Death 1,047
Death
1,047 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for lacosamide each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where lacosamide sits
lacosamide has more FDA adverse-event reports than 67% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is lacosamide; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 35,350 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2007–2025.
Total Reports
35,350
Reports Mentioning Death
3,025
8.6% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
12,020
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SEIZURE | 6,507 |
| 4 | DIZZINESS | 1,612 |
| 5 | SOMNOLENCE | 1,404 |
| 6 | FATIGUE | 1,376 |
| 7 | FALL | 1,337 |
| 8 | EPILEPSY | 1,336 |
| 9 | STATUS EPILEPTICUS | 1,220 |
| 10 | OVERDOSE | 1,207 |
| 11 | GENERALISED TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURE | 1,123 |
| 12 | DEATH | 1,047 |
| 13 | HEADACHE | 1,028 |
| 14 | DRUG INTERACTION | 956 |
| 15 | CONVULSION | 937 |
| 16 | NAUSEA | 913 |
| 17 | VOMITING | 881 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Lacosamide and other anti-seizure medicines may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. Tell your doctor right away if you have any new or worsening symptoms of depression, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. Lacosamide can also cause heart rhythm problems. Get an ECG before starting and during treatment.
Common Questions
Can I stop taking lacosamide suddenly?
What should I do if I feel dizzy while taking lacosamide?
Can lacosamide affect my heart?
Is it safe to take lacosamide with other medicines?
How often will I take lacosamide?
What if I have kidney problems?
What if I have liver problems?
Can children take lacosamide?
Will lacosamide cure my seizures?
What are the common side effects of lacosamide?
What drug class is lacosamide?
Is there a generic version of lacosamide?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for lacosamide?
Has lacosamide been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
CGMP Deviations
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA
Related Medications in Anticonvulsant
Other drugs grouped near lacosamide - same-class peers and common alternatives.
brivaracetam
Briviact
Brivaracetam is a medicine used to treat partial-onset seizures.
Compare with lacosamide →
cannabidiol
Epidiolex
Epidiolex is a medicine that contains cannabidiol.
Compare with lacosamide →
carbamazepine
Tegretol
Carbamazepine is a medicine used to control seizures and treat nerve pain.
Compare with lacosamide →
cenobamate
Xcopri
Xcopri is a medicine used to treat partial-onset seizures in adults.
Compare with lacosamide →
clobazam
Onfi, Sympazan
Clobazam oral suspension is a medicine used with other medicines to treat seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Compare with lacosamide →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for lacosamide: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 35,350.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 8.56%.
- propylthiouracil Δ 0.02 pts · 1,982 reports · Anti-Thyroid Agent 8.58%death share
- leuprolide Δ 0.03 pts · 1,385 reports · GnRH Agonist 8.59%death share
- atenolol Δ 0.05 pts · 130,943 reports · Beta-1 Selective Blocker 8.51%death share
- cephalexin Δ 0.08 pts · 20,636 reports · First-Generation Cephalosporin 8.48%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for lacosamide
The FDA label for lacosamide (sold under brand names such as Vimpat) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Anticonvulsant class. Lacosamide is used to treat partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Double vision, Headache, Dizziness.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 35,350 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.11 versus $2.19 for the brand - a 95% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 2 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: October 16, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages