Scientists from the University of Calgary found Tenecteplase (TNK), a safe, well-tolerated drug, commonly used as a blood clot buster for heart attacks, is an effective treatment for stroke.
The research was published in The Lancet and was conducted by Dr. Bijoy Menon et al.
Tenecteplase is known to be an effective clot-dissolving drug. It is very easy to administer which makes it a game-changer when seconds count to save brain cells.
Based on current guidelines, Alteplase (tPA) is the recommended drug for acute ischemic stroke patients. The challenge is that the drug is more complex to administer.
It takes up to an hour and requires an infusion pump that needs to be monitored. The pump can be cumbersome when transporting a patient within a hospital, or to a major stroke center for treatment.
One of the reasons Tenecteplase is so effective is that it can be administered as a single immediate dose.
That’s a big advantage, saving critical time and complication. TNK could potentially be administered wherever the patient is seen first, at a medical center or small hospital.
In the study, the team found that TNK worked as well as, if not better than, the currently recommended drug, tPA.
TNK attaches itself to the clot for a longer period of time than tPA which means that blood flow is restored faster and for a longer period of time.
Along with discovering a better way to treat acute ischemic stroke, the team also established a more cost-effective, and efficient way to conduct clinical trials.
The trial engaged patients and their families in the study design and completed all enrollments during the pandemic when health systems were under significant stress.
The study involved 22 primary and comprehensive stroke centers across Canada.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about what to eat for stroke prevention, and this eye problem may signal a higher risk of stroke, and dementia.
For more information about stroke, please see recent studies that surviving stroke is a sprint for this marathon runner, and results showing COVID is not just a respiratory illness, it can cause strokes too.
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