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Safouris A, Magoufis G, Tsivgoulis G. Emerging agents for the treatment and prevention of stroke: progress in clinical trials. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 30:1025-1035. [PMID: 34555978 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1985463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent years have witnessed unprecedented progress in stroke care, but unmet needs persist regarding the efficacy of acute treatment and secondary prevention. Novel approaches are being tested to enhance the efficacy of thrombolysis or provide neuroprotection in non-thrombolized patients. AREAS COVERED The current review highlights pharmaceutical agents under evaluation in clinical trials concerning the acute, subacute, and chronic phase post-stroke. We examine the evidence in favor of tenecteplase as an alternative thrombolytic drug to alteplase, nerinetide as a promising neuroprotective agent, and glibenclamide for reducing edema in malignant hemispheric infarction. We discuss the use of ticagrelor and the promising novel category of factor XI inhibitors in the subacute phase after stroke. We offer our insights on combined rivaroxaban and antiplatelet therapy, PCSK-9 inhibitors, and other non-statin hypolipidemic agents, as well as novel antidiabetic agents that have been shown to reduce cardiovascular events in the long-term. EXPERT OPINION Current approaches in stroke treatment and stroke prevention have already transformed stroke care from a linear one-for-all treatment paradigm to a more individualized approach that targets specific patient subgroups with novel pharmaceutical agents. This tendency enriches the therapeutic armamentarium with novel agents developed for specific stroke subgroups. ABBREVIATIONS IVT: intravenous thrombolysis; RCTs: randomized-controlled clinical trials; TNK: Tenecteplase; COVID-19: Coronavirus 2019 Disease; EXTEND-IA TNK: The Tenecteplase versus Alteplase Before Endovascular Therapy for Ischemic Stroke trial; AIS: acute ischemic stroke; NNT: number needed to treat; MT: mechanical thrombectomy; sICH: symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage; mRS: modified Rankin Scale; AHA/ASA: American Heart Association/American Stroke Association; ESO: European Stroke Organization; NA-1: Nerinetide; ENACT: Evaluating Neuroprotection in Aneurysm Coiling Therapy; CTA: CT angiography; TIA: transient ischemic attack; CHANCE: Clopidogrel in High-risk patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events; LOF: loss-of-function; PRINCE: Platelet Reactivity in Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events; THALES: Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated with Ticagrelor and ASA [acetylsalicylic acid] for Prevention of Stroke and Death; CHANCE-2: Clopidogrel With Aspirin in High-risk Patients With Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events II; FXI: Factor XI; PACIFIC-STROKE: Program of Anticoagulation via Inhibition of FXIa by the Oral Compound BAY 2433334-NonCardioembolic Stroke study; COMPASS: Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies; CANTOS-ICAD: Combination Antithrombotic Treatment for Prevention of Recurrent Ischemic Stroke in Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease; SAMMPRIS: Stenting and Aggressive Medical Therapy for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis; WASID: Warfarin-Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease; SPARCL: Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels; LDL-C: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TST: Treat Stroke to Target; IMPROVE-IT: Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial; PCSK9: proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9; FOURIER: Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research with PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects with Elevated Risk; CLEAR: Cholesterol Lowering via Bempedoic acid, an ACL-inhibiting Regimen; REDUCE-IT: Reduction of Cardiovascular Events With EPA Intervention Trial; STRENGTH: Outcomes Study to Assess STatin Residual Risk Reduction With EpaNova in HiGh CV Risk PatienTs With Hypertriglyceridemia; ACCORD: Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes; ADVANCE: Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation; VADT: Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial; GLP-1R: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor; SGLT2: sodium-glucose cotransporter 2; CONVINCE: COlchicine for preventioN of Vascular Inflammation in Non-CardioEmbolic stroke; PROBE: Prospective Randomized Open-label Blinded Endpoint assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Safouris
- Stroke Unit, Metropolitan Hospital, Piraeus, Greece.,Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Georgios Tsivgoulis
- Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.,Department of Neurology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, USA
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Magoufis G, Safouris A, Raphaeli G, Kargiotis O, Psychogios K, Krogias C, Palaiodimou L, Spiliopoulos S, Polizogopoulou E, Mantatzis M, Finitsis S, Karapanayiotides T, Ellul J, Bakola E, Brountzos E, Mitsias P, Giannopoulos S, Tsivgoulis G. Acute reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke patients with unknown time of symptom onset or in extended time windows: an individualized approach. Ther Adv Neurol Disord 2021; 14:17562864211021182. [PMID: 34122624 PMCID: PMC8175833 DOI: 10.1177/17562864211021182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) have revolutionized acute ischemic stroke care by extending the use of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular reperfusion therapies in time windows that have been originally considered futile or even unsafe. Both systemic and endovascular reperfusion therapies have been shown to improve outcome in patients with wake-up strokes or symptom onset beyond 4.5 h for intravenous thrombolysis and beyond 6 h for endovascular treatment; however, they require advanced neuroimaging to select stroke patients safely. Experts have proposed simpler imaging algorithms but high-quality data on safety and efficacy are currently missing. RCTs used diverse imaging and clinical inclusion criteria for patient selection during the dawn of this novel stroke treatment paradigm. After taking into consideration the dismal prognosis of nonrecanalized ischemic stroke patients and the substantial clinical benefit of reperfusion therapies in selected late presenters, we propose rescue reperfusion therapies for acute ischemic stroke patients not fulfilling all clinical and imaging inclusion criteria as an option in a subgroup of patients with clinical and radiological profiles suggesting low risk for complications, notably hemorrhagic transformation as well as local or remote parenchymal hemorrhage. Incorporating new data to treatment algorithms may seem perplexing to stroke physicians, since treatment and imaging capabilities of each stroke center may dictate diverse treatment pathways. This narrative review will summarize current data that will assist clinicians in the selection of those late presenters that will most likely benefit from acute reperfusion therapies. Different treatment algorithms are provided according to available neuroimaging and endovascular treatment capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Magoufis
- Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, Metropolitan Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
| | - Apostolos Safouris
- Stroke Unit, Metropolitan Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
- Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petach-Tikva, Israel
- Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Guy Raphaeli
- Interventional Neuroradiology Unit, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petach-Tikva, Israel
| | | | - Klearchos Psychogios
- Stroke Unit, Metropolitan Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
- Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Krogias
- Department of Neurology, St. Josef-Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lina Palaiodimou
- Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Stavros Spiliopoulos
- Second Department of Radiology, Interventional Radiology Unit, “ATTIKON” University General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Eftihia Polizogopoulou
- Emergency Medicine Clinic, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Michael Mantatzis
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, School of Medicine, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Stephanos Finitsis
- Department of Interventional Radiology, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Theodore Karapanayiotides
- Second Department of Neurology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - John Ellul
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Patras, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Eleni Bakola
- Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Brountzos
- Second Department of Radiology, Interventional Radiology Unit, “ATTIKON” University General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Panayiotis Mitsias
- Department of Neurology Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Sotirios Giannopoulos
- Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Tsivgoulis
- Second Department of Neurology, National & Kapodistrian, University of Athens, School of Medicine, “Attikon” University Hospital, Iras 39, Gerakas Attikis, Athens, 15344, Greece
- Department of Neurology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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