A review of the drug Alteplase - the Stroke Association comments

Later this month the medicines regulator, the MHRA, is due to complete its review into the clot-busting drug Alteplase, the frontline treatment used in many cases of stroke. A number of experts in the UK, US and Canada have raised serious doubts about the drug's safety and effectiveness.

Dr Dale Webb, Director of Research and Information at the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke devastates lives. One of the few existing treatments which can limit the brain damage caused by stroke is thrombolysis. However, this type of treatment, which involves the use of Alteplase, doesn’t work every time – one in seven people who receive thrombolysis benefit from the treatment. There is an urgent need for additional treatments to help prevent the debilitating impact of stroke.

“No stroke is the same, just as no two people are the same, and clinicians must balance a number of highly complex factors when making the decision to use Alteplase. No treatment is without risks. The NICE recommendation on the use of Alteplase is based on current evidence that shows overall the benefits outweigh the risks. Eligible patients treated with thrombolysis are more likely to have a good outcome, and more people are surviving stroke and leading independent lives. We fully support the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s review of Alteplase; the results will have significant implications for the future of stroke treatment.”