The results of a major international clinical trial led by the University of Glasgow could have a profound effect on the number of patients who are left disabled after suffering from a stroke.

Stroke is one of the most common causes of death around the world, second only to cancer, and the main medical condition that causes long-term disability. It costs us around 5% of our entire NHS and social services budgets.

Yet despite this, only one treatment has been shown to improve outcome from 'ischaemic stroke', the brain's equivalent of a heart attack caused by the blockage of blood vessels. In the UK, only 20-30 hospitals are using such treatments at present, and well under 1% of patients are receiving a 'clot-busting' drug.

"NXY-059" is a new drug that has been designed to reduce the amount of brain injury that develops during the early hours after suffering a stroke. The results of the first ever clinical trial of this new treatment, led by Professor Kennedy Lees of Cerebrovascular Medicine at Glasgow University, have already shown some promising results.

The SAINT (Stroke Acute Ischaemic NXY-059 Treatment) trial, involved 154 hospitals around the globe. 1,700 patients were examined upon arrival at hospital within 6 hours of developing stroke symptoms. Half of these patients were given normal fluids via a drip, and the other half had the new 'neuroprotectant' drug, NXY-059, added to their drip. The patients were given all other usual treatments and care and were examined to assess their recovery after 3 months.

Professor Lees explains:
"The results of this first clinical trial are very promising. Patients who were given this new drug were more likely to have made a full recovery from stroke after 3 months. Their odds of avoiding disability were about 20% better if they were given NXY-059."

"This is a particularly exciting result since it shows: first, that it is possible to treat stroke later than 3 hours after symptoms have started; second, it is possible to protect brain tissue using drugs that don't carry a risk of unwanted bleeding, so called 'neuroprotective drugs'; third, that the treatment can be given alongside clot-busting treatment and even appears to reduce the risk of bleeding that clot-busting treatments cause; and fourth, that this is a treatment that could be easily and safely administered without the need for specialist staff and equipment ﾖ it could be used in any district hospital.

The effect is relatively modest for individual patients, but since treatment could be given to so many people it could have a profound effect on the number of patients who are left disabled by stroke.

"This trial opens up new horizons for treatment of one of the most important conditions affecting our society," concludes Professor Lees.

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Professor Lees is the Clinical Director of the Acute Stroke Unit based at the Western Infirmary. He has been working on developing neuroprotective treatments for 15 years and has been working with NXY-059 since 1998.

The SAINT trial was sponsored by AstraZeneca, who have a commitment to advancing stroke research and are developing NXY-059 as a treatment for this disease.

First published: 3 February 2006