Recruiting

Clot-busting medication before or without clot removal surgery for stroke

Plain-English translation of NCT05199194 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated April 2025 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 3 — Testing in thousands of people, comparing the treatment against what doctors currently use. This is the last big step before approval.

What is this trial?

When you have a large blood clot blocking a major artery in your brain, doctors can remove it using a minimally invasive procedure called mechanical thrombectomy. This trial is testing whether giving — a clot-busting medication — through an IV before the procedure helps people recover better than just doing the procedure alone. You would be randomly assigned to receive either the medication or a placebo (a dummy treatment that looks identical) before your emergency surgery.

Doctors want to know if combining this medication with the clot removal procedure can improve long-term outcomes for stroke patients. The medication dissolves clots, so pairing it with mechanical removal might help restore blood flow faster and reduce brain damage, but this hasn't been proven yet.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have had an acute ischemic stroke (caused by a blood clot) within the past 4.5 hours
you have a confirmed large blood clot in a major artery of your brain that can be treated with clot removal surgery
you are between 18 and 85 years old
your stroke symptoms are moderate to severe (scored 6 or higher on a standard stroke scale)
you were functioning normally before your stroke with little to no pre-existing disability

You likely don't qualify if…

you are taking blood thinners like warfarin or certain newer anticoagulants, or have a bleeding disorder
you have very high or very low blood sugar, very low platelet counts, or severe high blood pressure that cannot be controlled
you are in a coma or severely unresponsive from your stroke
you have already received clot-busting medication (IV t-PA) before entering the trial
you are pregnant, have a life-threatening allergy to contrast dye, or have other serious illnesses that would make participation unsafe

What participation looks like

You will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one receives the medication through an IV, and the other receives a placebo IV infusion—both before your emergency clot removal procedure. Your doctors will monitor you closely during and after the procedure. You will have follow-up visits and assessments at 90 days after treatment to measure how well you are recovering. The entire trial participation lasts about three months from the time of your stroke.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 22, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(13 sites)

Brazil

Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul

Hospital das Clínicas Botucatu, Botucatu

Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brasília

Hospital das Clínicas da UFPR, Curitiba

Hospital Geral de Fortaleza, Fortaleza