The Norwegian Tenecteplase Stroke Trial 2

Summary

Background: Alteplase is the only approved acute drug treatment in ischemic stroke and aims at dissolving arterial clots causing cerebral ischemia. The overall benefit of alteplase is substantial. However, there is considerable room for improvement as 2/3 of patients with large clots may not achieve reopening of the vessel and up to 40% of the patients remain severely disabled or die. Tenecteplase, a modified tissue plasminogen activator, has been shown to be a more efficient and safer thrombolytic drug than alteplase in pre-clinical studies. Tenecteplase has replaced alteplase as thrombolytic treatment in myocardial infarction and may also be the drug of choice in ischemic stroke. Tenecteplase and alteplase had a similar safety profile in the NOR-TEST trial and there were no differences in efficacy between the two treatment groups. However, a majority of patients had mild stroke which may be associated with a natural favorable prognosis. In spite of these neutral results, tenecteplase has the potential to replace alteplase as the drug of choice, based on a better pharmacological profile and a simpler practical administration. There is, however, need for a higher number of patients to prove the efficacy and safety of tenecteplase. Hypothesis: Tenecteplase 0.4 mg/kg is non-inferior compared with alteplase 0.9 mg/kg.

Timeline

Start

2019-10-28

Primary completion

2021-09-30

Completion

2021-12-31

Publications

• Background Logallo N, Novotny V, Assmus J, Kvistad CE, Alteheld L, Ronning OM, Thommessen B, Amthor KF, Ihle-Hansen H, Kurz M, Tobro H, Kaur K, Stankiewicz M, Carlsson M, Morsund A, Idicula T, Aamodt AH, Lund C, Naess H, Waje-Andreassen U, Thomassen L. Tenecteplase versus alteplase for management of acute ischaemic stroke (NOR-TEST): a phase 3, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint trial. Lancet Neurol. 2017 Oct;16(10):781-788. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30253-3. Epub 2017 Aug 2.
• Results Kvistad CE, Naess H, Helleberg BH, Idicula T, Hagberg G, Nordby LM, Jenssen KN, Tobro H, Rorholt DM, Kaur K, Eltoft A, Evensen K, Haasz J, Singaravel G, Fromm A, Thomassen L. Tenecteplase versus alteplase for the management of acute ischaemic stroke in Norway (NOR-TEST 2, part A): a phase 3, randomised, open-label, blinded endpoint, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Neurol. 2022 Jun;21(6):511-519. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00124-7. Epub 2022 May 4.
• Novotny V, Kvistad CE, Naess H, Logallo N, Fromm A, Khanevski AN, Thomassen L. Tenecteplase, 0.4 mg/kg, in Moderate and Severe Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Pooled Analysis of NOR-TEST and NOR-TEST 2A. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Oct 17;12(20):e030320. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.123.030320. Epub 2023 Oct 13.

Drugs

Indications