It’s a clot-busting medicine.
A recent review indicates that an off-label clot-dissolving medication may be marginally more effective for stroke patients than a currently approved treatment.
The drug tenecteplase appears to be linked with a slightly increased chance of achieving excellent recovery and lower disability three months after a stroke, compared to alteplase, according to the researchers’ findings. However, both treatments showed similar probabilities for achieving a good recovery.
The study concentrated on ischemic strokes, which are the most prevalent type and occur when a blood clot obstructs blood flow to the brain. While alteplase is the only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating ischemic strokes, tenecteplase, although approved in Europe for the same condition, has not yet received U.S. approval for this specific use. However, tenecteplase is sanctioned in the U.S. for treating clots that cause heart attacks, and some hospitals administer it for ischemic strokes as well.
“Our meta-analysis indicates that while both medications share similar safety profiles and enhance the chances of a good recovery post-stroke, tenecteplase demonstrates a superior capacity for facilitating excellent recovery and minimizing disability,” explained Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis, chair of neurology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece.
These findings were published on October 16 in the journal Neurology. Tsivgoulis emphasized that the results advocate for the preference of tenecteplase over alteplase in ischemic stroke treatment.
The analysis included data from 11 studies, encompassing 3,788 individuals treated with tenecteplase and 3,757 treated with alteplase. Those administered tenecteplase showed a 5% greater likelihood of achieving excellent recovery compared to their counterparts receiving alteplase. Additionally, patients treated with tenecteplase had a 10% higher chance of experiencing reduced disability three months after the stroke.
“While both drugs improve the odds of a favorable recovery following a stroke, our findings reveal that individuals treated with tenecteplase are more likely to attain excellent recovery,” Tsivgoulis noted.
Discussion about this post