The standard and new anti-epileptic drugs (SANAD clinical trials) were designed to identify the most effective and cost-effective treatment for patients with epilepsy. Published in the lancet, conclusions from the first trial were that:

In generalised and unclassified epilepsy: “Valproate is better tolerated than topiramate and more efficacious than lamotrigine, and should remain the drug of first choice for many patients with generalised and unclassified epilepsies. However, because of known potential adverse effects of valproate during pregnancy, the benefits for seizure control in women of childbearing years should be considered.”
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In focal epilepsy: “Lamotrigine is clinically better than carbamazepine, the standard drug treatment, for time to treatment failure outcomes and is therefore a cost-effective alternative for patients diagnosed with partial onset seizures.”
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In 2020, the results from the second trial, SANAD-II, which focuses on newly diagnosed epilepsy, are to be announced. Furthermore, the Cochrane Epilepsy Group is based in Liverpool, which coordinates preparation & dissemination of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials in epilepsy.