Cenobamate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Cenobamate is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand, for partial epilepsies. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Treats
- Partial Epilepsies
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- Xcopri
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How cenobamate is dosed
From the FDA label for Xcopri (application NDA212839). Other cenobamate products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Prior to initiating XCOPRI, obtain serum transaminases (ALT and AST) and total bilirubin, if not recently available (i.e., within 3 months), to establish baseline liver function. ( 2.1 , 5.4 ) The recommended initial dosage of XCOPRI is 12.5 mg once daily, titrated to the recommended maintenance dosage of 200 mg once daily. The recommended titration schedule should not be exceeded. The maximum dosage is 400 mg once daily. ( 2.2 ) Hepatic impairment: For patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment, the maximum recommended dosage is 200 mg once daily. ( 2.3 , 8.7 , 12.3 ) XCOPRI can be taken whole or the tablets can be crushed. The crushed tablet can be mixed with water and either administered by mouth as an oral suspension or administered via a nasogastric tube. ( 2.4 ) 2.1 Assessments Prior to Initiating XCOPRI Liver Function Tests Prior to initiating XCOPRI, obtain serum transaminases (ALT and AST) and total bilirubin, if not recently available (i.e., within 3 months), to establish baseline liver function [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] . For patients with baseline hepatic impairment, dosage modifications are recommended [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.3 )] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage Monotherapy and Adjunctive Therapy XCOPRI is administered orally once daily with or without food. The recommended dosage and titration, which should not be exceeded because of the…
Cenobamate side effects
The following serious adverse reactions are described in more detail in the Warnings and Precautions section of the labeling: Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS)/Multiorgan Hypersensitivity [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] QT Shortening [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Suicidal Behavior and Ideation [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Liver Injury [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Neurological Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] The most common adverse reactions in patients receiving XCOPRI (at least 10% for XCOPRI and more frequently than placebo) include somnolence, dizziness, fatigue, diplopia, and headache. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact SK Life Science, Inc. at 1-866-657-5574 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions and for varying durations, adverse reaction frequencies observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared with frequencies in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the frequencies observed in practice. In all controlled and uncontrolled trials performed in adult partial-onset seizure patients, XCOPRI was administered as adjunctive therapy to 1944…
Who shouldn’t take cenobamate
XCOPRI is contraindicated in patients with: Hypersensitivity to cenobamate or any of the inactive ingredients in XCOPRI [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Description ( 11 )] Familial Short QT syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Hypersensitivity to cenobamate or any of the inactive ingredients in XCOPRI. ( 4 ) Familial Short QT syndrome. ( 4 )
Cenobamate drug interactions
Phenytoin: Gradually decrease phenytoin dosage by up to 50%. ( 7.1 ) Phenobarbital and Clobazam: Reduce dosage as needed when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. ( 7.1 ) Lamotrigine, Carbamazepine: Increase dosage as needed when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. ( 7.1 ) CYP2B6 and CYP3A Substrates: Increase dosage as needed when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. ( 7.1 ) CYP2C19 Substrates: Reduce dosage as needed when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. ( 7.1 ) Oral Contraceptives: Effectiveness of hormonal oral contraceptives may be reduced when administered concomitantly with XCOPRI. Women should use additional or alternative non-hormonal birth control. ( 7.1 ) 7.1 Effect of XCOPRI on Other Drugs Table 5 summarizes the effect of XCOPRI on other drugs [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Table 5: Pharmacokinetic Drug Interactions Drug or Substrate Type Effect of XCOPRI on Drug or Substrate Clinical Recommendation Antiepileptic Drugs lamotrigine ↓ plasma concentrations Because of a potential for reduced efficacy of these drugs, increase the dosage of lamotrigine or carbamazepine, as needed, when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. carbamazepine ↓ plasma concentrations phenytoin ↑ plasma concentrations Because of a potential 2-fold increase in phenytoin levels, gradually decrease phenytoin dosage by up to 50% as XCOPRI is being titrated. phenobarbital ↑ plasma concentrations Because of a potential for an increase in the risk of adverse reactions from these drugs, consider a reduction in dosage of phenobarbital or clobazam, as clinically appropriate, when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. desmethylclobazam, the active metabolite of clobazam ↑ plasma concentrations CYP2B6 Substrates ↓ plasma concentrations Because of a potential for reduced efficacy of these drugs, increase the dosage of CYP2B6 or CYP3A4 substrates, as needed, when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. CYP3A Substrates ↓ plasma concentrations Oral contraceptives ↓ plasma concentrations Because of the potential for reduced efficacy of oral contraceptives, women should use additional or alternative non-hormonal birth control while taking XCOPRI. CYP2C19 Substrates ↑ plasma concentrations Because of a potential for an increase in the risk of adverse reactions from these drugs, consider a reduction in dosage of CYP2C19 substrates, as clinically appropriate, when used concomitantly with XCOPRI. 7.2 Drug that Shorten the QT Interval XCOPRI can shorten the QT interval; therefore, caution should be used when administering XCOPRI and other drugs that shorten the QT interval [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )]. 7.3 CNS Depressants and Alcohol Concomitant use of XCOPRI with other CNS depressants, including alcohol, may increase the risk of neurological adverse reactions, including sedation and somnolence [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] .
Every cenobamate product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Xcopri.
What cenobamate pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Can you crush or split cenobamate?
The cenobamate labels that address it permit crushing or splitting in the terms they state — quoted per product, because the instruction belongs to the form.
What each cenobamate label says about crushing, splitting and chewingWhat people report to the FDA about cenobamate
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 743 reports naming cenobamate, and the FDA flagged 85% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- seizure135 reports
- multiple-drug resistance69 reports
- somnolence62 reports
- fatigue53 reports
- ataxia44 reports
- dizziness42 reports
- epilepsy31 reports
- generalised tonic-clonic seizure31 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean cenobamate caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is cenobamate?
Xcopri (Cenobamate) is a medication used to treat Partial Epilepsies.
Can you take cenobamate with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run cenobamate against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does cenobamate come in?
Across the brands we track, cenobamate is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic cenobamate?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled cenobamate product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Cenobamate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cenobamate
- MLA
- “Cenobamate: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cenobamate.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for cenobamate on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.