Prescription medication · Anticonvulsant (AMPA Antagonist)
perampanel
Also sold as Fycompa. Perampanel is used to treat partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy who are 4 years and older.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 7,188
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- 4
- InteractionsFew interactions
- $4.47
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
perampanel (Fycompa) is a prescription Anticonvulsant (AMPA Antagonist), reported less often than most tracked drugs (7,188 FDA reports), with 4 documented drug interactions.
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.
perampanel (Fycompa) is a prescription Anticonvulsant (AMPA Antagonist). Perampanel is used to treat partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy who are 4 years and older.
Perampanel is a medicine used to treat seizures. It works by reducing the activity of certain chemicals in the brain that can cause seizures.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$4.47/unit
Generic Available
Yes (4 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Perampanel is used to treat partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy who are 4 years and older.
Common side effects
Dizziness, Sleepiness, Tiredness
Key warnings
Perampanel can cause serious mental and behavior changes, including aggression, hostility, irritability, anger, and thoughts of harming yourself or others.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from perampanel's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Perampanel blocks a specific receptor in the brain called the AMPA glutamate receptor. By blocking this receptor, perampanel reduces the excessive brain activity that leads to seizures. This helps to control seizures.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 7,188 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for perampanel, by number of reports
- Seizure
Seizure
1,098 reports
- Somnolence
Somnolence
491 reports
- Aggression
Aggression
485 reports
- Dizziness 384
Dizziness
384 reports
- Epilepsy 332
Epilepsy
332 reports
- Status Epilepticus 324
Status Epilepticus
324 reports
- Drug Interaction 323
Drug Interaction
323 reports
- Multiple-Drug Resistance 313
Multiple-Drug Resistance
313 reports
- Fatigue 292
Fatigue
292 reports
- Irritability 239
Irritability
239 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 perampanel 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 perampanel sits
perampanel has more FDA adverse-event reports than 31% 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 perampanel; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 7,188 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2012–2025.
Total Reports
7,188
Reports Mentioning Death
453
6.3% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
2,745
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SEIZURE | 1,098 |
| 4 | SOMNOLENCE | 491 |
| 5 | AGGRESSION | 485 |
| 6 | DIZZINESS | 384 |
| 7 | EPILEPSY | 332 |
| 8 | STATUS EPILEPTICUS | 324 |
| 9 | DRUG INTERACTION | 323 |
| 10 | MULTIPLE-DRUG RESISTANCE | 313 |
| 11 | FATIGUE | 292 |
| 12 | IRRITABILITY | 239 |
| 13 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 226 |
| 14 | FALL | 220 |
| 16 | SUICIDE ATTEMPT | 204 |
| 17 | GAIT DISTURBANCE | 199 |
| 18 | SUICIDAL IDEATION | 195 |
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
Perampanel can cause serious mental and behavior changes, including aggression, hostility, irritability, anger, and thoughts of harming yourself or others. Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these changes. Your doctor may need to lower your dose or stop the medicine. Watch for these changes especially when starting perampanel or when your dose is increased.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Contraceptives: 12 mg once daily may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives containing levonorgestrel ( 7.1 ) Moderate and Strong CYP3A4 Inducers (including carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and phenytoin): increase clearance of perampanel and decrease perampanel plasma concentrations. 7.2 Moderate and Strong CYP3A4 Inducers The concomitant use of known moderate and strong CYP3A4 inducers including carbamazepine, phenytoin, or oxcarbazepine with perampanel decreased the plasma levels of perampanel by approximately 50% to 67% [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
Mechanism: Carbamazepine speeds up how fast your body gets rid of perampanel, which significantly lowers the amount of medicine in your system.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Contraceptives: 12 mg once daily may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives containing levonorgestrel ( 7.1 ) Moderate and Strong CYP3A4 Inducers (including carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and phenytoin): increase clearance of perampanel and decrease perampanel plasma concentrations. 7.2 Moderate and Strong CYP3A4 Inducers The concomitant use of known moderate and strong CYP3A4 inducers including carbamazepine, phenytoin, or oxcarbazepine with perampanel decreased the plasma levels of perampanel by approximately 50% to 67% [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
Mechanism: Oxcarbazepine makes your body break down perampanel much faster than normal. This causes the amount of perampanel in your blood to drop, which may make it less effective.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Contraceptives: 12 mg once daily may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives containing levonorgestrel ( 7.1 ) Moderate and Strong CYP3A4 Inducers (including carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and phenytoin): increase clearance of perampanel and decrease perampanel plasma concentrations. 7.2 Moderate and Strong CYP3A4 Inducers The concomitant use of known moderate and strong CYP3A4 inducers including carbamazepine, phenytoin, or oxcarbazepine with perampanel decreased the plasma levels of perampanel by approximately 50% to 67% [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
Mechanism: Phenytoin speeds up the process of clearing perampanel from your system. This can lower the level of perampanel in your body by more than half.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Contraceptives: 12 mg once daily may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives containing levonorgestrel ( 7.1 ) Moderate and Strong CYP3A4 Inducers (including carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and phenytoin): increase clearance of perampanel and decrease perampanel plasma concentrations. Dose adjustment of perampanel tablets may be necessary ( 2.3 , 7.2 ) 7.1 Contraceptives With concomitant use, perampanel at a dose of 12 mg per day reduced levonorgestrel exposure by approximately 40% [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Use of perampanel with contraceptives...
Mechanism: Taking a high dose of perampanel can lower the amount of birth control medicine in your blood. This makes the birth control less likely to work to prevent pregnancy.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drink alcohol while taking perampanel?
Will perampanel interact with my birth control?
Can I drive while taking perampanel?
What should I do if I have thoughts of harming myself?
How often will I see the doctor while taking perampanel?
What if I have liver problems?
What if I have kidney problems?
What if I am elderly?
Are there any other medicines that interact with perampanel?
What do the different colored tablets mean?
What are the common side effects of perampanel?
Does perampanel interact with other medications?
What drug class is perampanel?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for perampanel?
Related Medications in Anticonvulsant (AMPA Antagonist)
Other drugs grouped near perampanel - same-class peers and common alternatives.
brivaracetam
Briviact
Brivaracetam is a medicine used to treat partial-onset seizures.
Compare with perampanel →
cannabidiol
Epidiolex
Epidiolex is a medicine that contains cannabidiol.
Compare with perampanel →
carbamazepine
Tegretol
Carbamazepine is a medicine used to control seizures and treat nerve pain.
Compare with perampanel →
cenobamate
Xcopri
Xcopri is a medicine used to treat partial-onset seizures in adults.
Compare with perampanel →
clobazam
Onfi, Sympazan
Clobazam oral suspension is a medicine used with other medicines to treat seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Compare with perampanel →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for perampanel: 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: 7,188.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 6.30%.
- indapamide Δ 0.04 pts · 17,199 reports · Thiazide-Like Diuretic 6.34%death share
- meloxicam Δ 0.04 pts · 55,835 reports · Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) 6.34%death share
- nitrofurantoin Δ 0.04 pts · 15,757 reports · Nitrofuran Antibiotic 6.35%death share
- terbinafine Δ 0.05 pts · 6,848 reports · Allylamine Antifungal 6.25%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 perampanel
The FDA label for perampanel (sold under brand names such as Fycompa) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Anticonvulsant (AMPA Antagonist) class. Perampanel is used to treat partial-onset seizures in people with epilepsy who are 4 years and older. Official labeling lists 14 commonly reported side effects, including Dizziness, Sleepiness, Tiredness.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 7,188 voluntary reports. The database also lists 4 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.
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, 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: December 19, 2025
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