Summary
Ciprofloxacin 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. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Ciprofloxacin to Epilepsy: 2 have completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 3520 participants. Registration activity spans 2011 to 2020. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 1 systematic review and 1 clinical trial publication. Publication years run from 1987 to 2015. 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 | 30.0 (trials 5.0, literature 5.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (1 systematic review, 1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, 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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT01431326 | Pharmacokinetics of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children Per Standard of Care 2011 | completed | Not applicable | 3,520 |
| NCT04763070 | Ciprofloxacin in Drug-resistant Epilepsy 2020 | completed | Not applicable | 23 |
Published literature
- Systematic review Seizures as adverse events of antibiotic drugs: A systematic reviewSutter R, Rüegg S, Tschudin-Sutter S · Neurology · 2015 · PMID 26400582
- Clinical trial publication Interaction between quinolones and caffeineStaib AH, Stille W, Dietlein G et al. · Drugs · 1987 · PMID 3481318
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 Open Targets and 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 Ciprofloxacin approved for Epilepsy?
Ciprofloxacin 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 Ciprofloxacin in clinical trials for Epilepsy?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Ciprofloxacin to Epilepsy: 2 have completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 3520 participants. Registration activity spans 2011 to 2020.
What does the evidence show for Ciprofloxacin in Epilepsy?
Ciprofloxacin has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Epilepsy. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and 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.