Feasibility Study of IV Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rtPA) vs. Primary Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Summary

This pilot trial will be the first step toward direct comparison of delivery of endovascular reperfusion therapy to intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in a time-to-treatment framework shown as most effective by the NINDS rt-PA Stroke Trial. A randomized trial is justified for the following reasons: 1) The high rate of death and disability associated with ischemic stroke despite treatment with intravenous rt-PA mandates critical analysis of alternate therapies with therapeutic potential, 2) endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke is expanding in North America without compelling evidence of safety and efficacy from well-designed clinical trials, 3) critical cost-effectiveness analysis cannot be done without acquiring pertinent outcomes data from controlled studies.

Timeline

Start

2013-01

Primary completion

2015-09

Completion

2015-09

Drugs

Indications