New Stroke Drug

There is new hope tonight for the millions of stroke patients who don't make it to the emergency room soon enough to get clot-busting medicine TPA. Now, researchers are looking at whether a new type of blood thinning drug can prevent the permanent damage from stroke long after anyone thought possible.

Merlin Nelson has a hard time reading the title of his New York Times. "When I look right at it I see the New and the York, and then the other words kind of fade away." It's clear to even Merlin that he can't see everything he's supposed to, like the headline of his newspaper. Merlin suffered a stroke, but didn't know what it was, even though he had suffered a previous one 5 years ago. He came to the hospital just slightly more than three hours after the onset of his symptoms. Sadly, that's the way it is for most stroke victims- they miss the opportunity to get the clot busting drug called TPA. If it's used after the three hour mark, it can cause brain bleeding and death.

Keith Siller, neurologist and stroke expert at NYU Medical Center, says, "The problem is people don't show up before three hours. The bulk of people with acute stroke miss the window. Our frustration is that we are now trying to get away from the time window by finding drugs that can stretch it out a little bit."

The drug ReoPro, also known as Abciximab, may be the solution. ReoPro is used by cardiologists to treat heart attacks. But for stroke patients who miss the three hour window, it could be the answer to extending the window to as long as six hours after symptoms begin. Researchers across the country are looking at whether ReoPro can improve function and minimize disability in patients who come in too late to get TPA. Siller says, "If this new drug, which is actually an old drug being used for a new purpose, if it reduces bleeding that would be a major benefit." Participants are eligible to participate if they had the symptoms of stroke within the preceding six hours, or if they wake up with a stroke and get to the hospital within three hours.

A stroke occurs when an artery supplying blood to the brain gets blocked off by a clot. ReoPro works by preventing blood platelets--the sticky cells-- from forming clots. It also helps diminish the size of the clots already formed. Dr. Siller warns though, even it won't work if you don't get to the hospital as quickly as possible. "Even if it is the perfect drug to fix a stroke, it would have to be given still before the brain has died. We want people to remember that the sooner they get treated, the better."

For more information on stroke, click here.

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