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Published on: July 25, 2011
Pharmacotherapy of cerebral ischemia
Andrew F Ducruet1, Bartosz T Grobelny, Brad E Zacharia
1Columbia University, Department of Neurological Surgery, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. afd12@columbia.edu
Insights
Pharmacologic treatments for ischemic stroke are limited. Future therapies may combine interventional techniques with advanced pharmacotherapy for improved outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
- Stroke Medicine
Background:
- Ischemic stroke is a major cause of death and disability globally.
- Current effective pharmacologic treatments include aspirin and tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute thrombolysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review approved pharmacologic therapies for acute ischemic stroke.
- To explore promising future treatment strategies for acute ischemic stroke.
Main Methods:
- Exhaustive PubMed search (1950-2009) for pharmacotherapy of acute ischemic stroke.
- Focus on agents in Phase III trials or approved for clinical use.
- Interpretation of existing literature and future outlook.
Main Results:
- Limited pharmacologic options currently approved for ischemic stroke.
- Ongoing Phase III investigations for several neuroprotective agents.
- Advancements in interventional techniques for localized drug delivery.
Conclusions:
- Research continues to define optimal patient populations and extend therapeutic windows for thrombolysis.
- Future pharmacotherapy for ischemic stroke likely involves a combination of interventional methods and drug treatments.
Background:
Ischemic stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and disability in the developed world. Despite many promising preclinical results, the only pharmacologic treatments proven effective in improving clinical outcome following ischemic stroke until now are administration of aspirin and acute thrombolysis using tissue-plasminogen activator.
Objective:
To review currently approved pharmacologic therapies as well as promising future treatment strategies for acute ischemic stroke.
Methods:
We performed an exhaustive PubMed search for articles published from 1950 through 2009 describing pharmacotherapy of acute ischemic stroke, focusing on agents that are currently in Phase III trials or approved for clinical use. Following this review, we present our interpretation of the existing literature and our vision of the future of pharmacotherapy for ischemic stroke.
Results/Conclusions:
Since the clinical success of the first intravenous thrombolytic, many studies have sought to further characterize the ideal patient population and to extend the therapeutic time window for pharmacologic thrombolysis. Additionally, despite the many failures of neuroprotective trials, several promising agents are currently undergoing Phase III investigation. With the advent of interventional techniques enabling local delivery of therapeutics into the region of the thrombus, the future of pharmacotherapy for ischemic stroke will probably include a combination of interventional techniques and pharmacotherapy.
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