ReoPro and Retavase to Restore Brain Blood Flow After Stroke

NCT00039832 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 42

Last updated 2011-09-21

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two types of blood thinners, abciximab (ReoPro) and reteplase (Retavase) for restoring normal brain blood flow after ischemic stroke (stroke resulting from a blood clot in the brain).

The only therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke is the clot buster drug rt-PA. This treatment, however, is effective only if begun within 3 hours of onset of the stroke and most patients do not get to the hospital early enough to benefit from it. There is thus a pressing need to develop effective stroke treatments that can be initiated more than 3 hours after onset.

Patients between 18 and 80 years of age who have experienced a mild or moderate acute stroke between 3 and 24 hours before starting study drugs may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with a physical examination, blood tests and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (if an MRI was not done during the stroke evaluation).

All participants will receive ReoPro. Some will also receive Retavase, which may boost the effectiveness of ReoPro. Retavase is administered in a single dose through a needle in the vein over 2 minutes. ReoPro is infused into the vein over 12 hours. Patients will be monitored with physical examinations, blood tests, computed tomography (CT) scans, and three or four MRI scans of the brain to evaluate both the response to treatment and side effects of the drugs. An MRI scan will be done 24 hours, 5 days and 30 days after starting the study medication, and possibly during screening for this study.

CT involves the use of specialized x-rays to obtain images of the brain. The patient lies still in the scanner for a short time while the X-ray images are formed. MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to demonstrate structural and chemical changes in tissue. MRI is more sensitive than x-ray in evaluating acute stroke. The patient lies on a table in a metal cylinder (the scanner) while the pictures are being taken. During part of the MRI, a medicine called gadolinium contrast is injected in a vein. This medicine brightens the images, creating better pictures of the blood flow.

Conditions

  • Cerebrovascular Accident

Interventions

DRUG

Abciximab (ReoPro) and Reteplase (Retavase)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

    lead NIH

Study Design

Purpose
TREATMENT

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2002-03-31
Primary Completion
2007-04-30
Completion
2008-05-31

Countries

  • United States
  • Germany

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00039832 on ClinicalTrials.gov