Summary
Digoxin 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 Digoxin to Epilepsy: 2 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 1 (NCT01583036). It plans or enrolled 30 participants. Registration activity spans 2002 to 2012. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 2 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1991 to 2009. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
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 6.0, literature 4.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (2 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | inhibitor |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ATP1A2 |
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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02172742 | The Effect of BIA 2-093 on the Steady-state Pharmacokinetics of Digoxin 2002 | completed | Phase 1 | 13 |
| NCT01583036 | An Open-label, Single-centre Study Evaluating the Pharmacokinetics of Digoxin Alone and When Administered at Various Doses of Ezogabine/Retigabine in Healthy Adults. The Pharmacokinetics of Ezogabine/Retigabine and the N-acetyl Metabolite of Ezogabine/Retigabine (NAMR) Will Also be Assessed 2012 | completed | Phase 1 | 30 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Effect of eslicarbazepine acetate on the pharmacokinetics of digoxin in healthy subjectsVaz da Silva M, Costa R, Soares E et al. · Fundamental & clinical pharmacology · 2009 · PMID 19500154
- Clinical trial publication [Digoxin--an active antiepileptic agent]Markova IV, Mikhaĭlov IB, Guzeva VI · Farmakologiia i toksikologiia · 1991 · PMID 1800152
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: inhibitor.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP1A2. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Digoxin approved for Epilepsy?
Digoxin 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 Digoxin in clinical trials for Epilepsy?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Digoxin to Epilepsy: 2 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 1 (NCT01583036). It plans or enrolled 30 participants. Registration activity spans 2002 to 2012.
What does the evidence show for Digoxin in Epilepsy?
Digoxin has 2 completed trials and 2 linked publications for Epilepsy. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ATP1A2. 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.