Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39607729›Full record

Trial reportEpilepsia open2025

Efficacy and safety of everolimus for patients with focal cortical dysplasia type 2.

Se Hee Kim, Hoon-Chul Kang, Yun Ho Roh, Jongsung Hahn, Kyung Lok Min, Seok-Jin Lee, Donghwa Yang, Han Som Choi, Soyoung Park, Jeong Ho Lee and 4 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Epilepsia open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03198949 (A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Cross Over Study Investigating the Anti-epileptic Efficacy of Afinitor), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03198949 phase2completednot on this map

A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Cross Over Study Investigating the Anti-epileptic Efficacy of Afinitor (Everolimus) in Patients With Refractory Seizures Who Have Focal Cortical Dysplasia Type II (FCD II)

TypeinterventionalSponsorYonsei UniversityRan2018 to 2020Enrolled23ConditionsEpilepsy and Focal Cortical Dysplasia IIArmsAfinitor (everolimus)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Drug resistant epilepsy driven byEpilepsy & behavior reports · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Se Hee KimPediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0001-7773-1942
Hoon-Chul KangPediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-3659-8847
Yun Ho RohBiostatistics Collaboration Unit, Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jongsung HahnDepartment of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Kyung Lok MinDepartment of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Seok-Jin LeePediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Donghwa YangPediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-1580-9406
Han Som ChoiPediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Soyoung ParkPediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jeong Ho LeeGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), SoVarGen, Inc., Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Guk LeeDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Se Hoon KimDepartment of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Min Jung ChangDepartment of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Heung Dong KimPediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Funding

Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) RS-2023-00266971Novartis CRAD001X2204T
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of everolimus in treating seizures associated with focal cortical dysplasia type 2 (FCD 2).

methodsA prospective, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03198949) enrolled patients aged 4-40 years with pathologically confirmed FCD 2 and a history of ≥3 seizures per month for two out of the 3 months prior to screening. The trial included a 4-week baseline phase, two 12-week core phases, and a 29-week extension phase. Patients received everolimus or placebo in a blinded manner during core phase I, with crossover to the alternate treatment in core phase II. Everolimus dosage started at 4.5 mg/m

resultsBetween May 11, 2017, and June 19, 2020, 21 patients completed the core phases. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between everolimus and placebo groups (24% vs. 19%, p = 0.66). The patients showed varied responses. Three patients with a pathogenic variant in the MTOR gene or no genetic abnormalities achieved seizure freedom with everolimus in the last month of the core phase, while none of the patients with variants in other genes did. Adverse events, such as mucositis or skin ulceration, were more common with everolimus (19/21 vs. 7/21, p < 0.001). All adverse events resolved without study drug withdrawal. SIGNIFICANCE: Everolimus treatment for 12 weeks did not show overall superiority in reducing seizures compared to placebo. However, it showed promise, mostly in patients with a pathogenic variant in the MTOR gene, highlighting the need for further research into patient-specific factors influencing treatment response. The everolimus treatment was generally safe and manageable. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This study tested everolimus for reducing seizures in patients with focal cortical dysplasia type 2 (FCD 2). While the drug was not more effective than a placebo for most, few patients showed better results, with some becoming seizure-free. Side effects were common but manageable. More research is needed to understand why certain patients respond better to treatment.

Indexed as

AnticonvulsantsEverolimusMalformations of Cortical Development, Group ISeizuresAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolCross-Over StudiesEpilepsyFemaleFocal Cortical DysplasiaHumansMaleProspective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAnticonvulsantsEverolimusdrug‐resistant epilepsyepilepsyEverolimusfocal cortical dysplasiaMTOR inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID39607729
PMCPMC11803298

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.