Eslicarbazepine acetate was developed by the Portuguese pharmaceutical company Bial. In early 2009, Bial sold the marketing rights in Europe to the Japanese company Eisai. The drug was approved in the European Union in April 2009 under the trade names Zebinix and Exalief, but was marketed only under the first name. In the US it is marketed by Sunovion (formerly Sepracor) and was approved in November 2013.