United States: Health experts demonstrated that recently FDA-approved stroke-treatment medication provides equivalent treatment benefits to traditional clot-buster medication while requiring a faster administration process.
More about the news
During this recent month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized approval of a new clot-dissolving drug called Tenecteplase (TNKase) after almost three decades of absence.
Research shows that tenecteplase provides much the same advantages as common stroke therapy alteplase despite being more widespread in US hospitals, according to JAMA Network Open.
According to the lead researcher, Dr. Justin Rousseau, an assistant professor of neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, “In the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, there is the saying that ‘time is brain.’ The longer patients go without effective treatment, the more brain cells die, and the worse their outcome will be,” US News reported.
There's newfound hope for stroke patients in recovery, with what researchers believe is the very first drug that can comprehensively deliver rehabilitation without the need for challenging long-term physical therapy.https://t.co/Hjih2dt8ym#StrokeRecovery #BrainHealing #DDl920… pic.twitter.com/qsElRP6oFO
— New Atlas (@nwtls) March 20, 2025
“Our study shows that tenecteplase is a safe and effective alternative to traditional treatment with alteplase, and in some cases, it could get patients on the road to recovery faster,” Rousseau noted.
Findings of the study
Medical experts indicate that strokes affect about 800,000 people in the United States per year when blood clots stop blood from reaching the brain.
Researchers reported that the stroke treatment drug alteplase received Food and Drug Administration approval in 1996 for fast clot dissolution; however, it presents major disadvantages, according to investigators.
The initial dose of Alteplase for treatment is rapid, followed by controlled drug administration through a drip system for one hour, according to researcher findings.
The medical procedure requires advanced skills, which leads to interruptions or delays in patient treatment.
#STROKE Topical Review by Kalailingam et al.: Future lines of inquiry exploring genetic pathways hold promise for novel drugs that could transform the management of intracranial vascular malformations. #AHAJournals https://t.co/onxGWcQuqA pic.twitter.com/kDYpVIpTaa
— Stroke AHA/ASA (@StrokeAHA_ASA) March 20, 2025
According to researchers, the medication tenecteplase requires only a single fast administration, which lasts for a few seconds.
FDA approval of the drug
The Food and Drug Administration recently authorized this new drug for stroke applications in early March, and the medication currently exists for the treatment of heart attack clots; doctors occasionally utilize it for strokes outside of standard medical guidelines, US News reported.
Scientists examined nearly 9,500 stroke patients who received tenectplase alongside more than 70,000 patients who got Alteplase as the stroke treatment from July 2020 to June 2022, as US News reported.
The treatment groups displayed equivalent success rates in functional needs, disability liberation, home release as a substitute for rehab centers, and walking ability without support.
Researchers indicated that the drugs produced equivalent results in terms of safety. The researchers stated that using the conveniently administered tenecteplase could enhance flexibility in stroke treatment.