Summary
Amphetamine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Epilepsy would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Epilepsy. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Amphetamine specifically in Epilepsy. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 3 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review and 2 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1974 to 2023. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Epilepsy ranks 187 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: 60-85% achieve seizure freedom on medication; of those, 50-75% remain seizure-free after withdrawal (varies by syndrome and duration of freedom).
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 29.0 (trials 0.0, literature 9.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 3 (2 clinical trial publications, 1 Cochrane review) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | ChEMBL |
| Linked via biomarker / target | AARS1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Amphetamine to Epilepsy in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Cochrane review Efficacy and Safety of Fenfluramine in Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisTabaee Damavandi P, Fabin N, Giossi R et al. · Neurology and therapy · 2023 · PMID 36853503
- Clinical trial publication Association of leukocytosis with amphetamine and cocaine useRichards JR, Farias VF, Clingan CS · TheScientificWorldJournal · 2014 · PMID 24578625
- Clinical trial publication D-amphetamine and delinquency: hyperkinesis persisting?Maletzky BM · Diseases of the nervous system · 1974 · PMID 17896753
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target AARS1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amphetamine approved for Epilepsy?
Amphetamine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Epilepsy would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Epilepsy. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Amphetamine in clinical trials for Epilepsy?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Amphetamine specifically in Epilepsy. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Amphetamine in Epilepsy?
Synthesis-level literature links Amphetamine to Epilepsy, but no registered trial in this database tests the pair, so the evidence is observational, pooled from other indications, or pre-dates registry practice. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target AARS1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.