A new clinical trial targeting a blend of ultrasound and intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat acute ischemic stroke is currently underway at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
According to a university news release, the Phase III clinical trial is randomized, double-blinded, and placebo controlled. It will recruit 830 patients in 60 sites worldwide. UTHealth Medical School recently enrolled the first trial participant, Enrique Chapa, aged 75 years old.
“We will be assessing if the treatment leads to less disability and more independence for stroke victims,” Andrew Barreto, MD, assistant professor of neurology, UTHealth Medical School, states.
While it is unknown if Chapa received the actual ultrasound device or the placebo device post-stroke, the following Saturday after his hospitalization the release reports that he began to feed himself, communicate with family members, and work the television remote control.
The integration of a head frame device eases the application of the ultrasound, “The first safety study was done with a diagnostic handheld probe placed against the temple and medical personnel had to be trained to properly administer the ultrasound. Now with Cerevast’s device, the operator-independent head frame can be placed on the head with minimal training by any emergency room staff member.”
The UTHealth trial will enroll patients at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, and Baptist Beaumont Hospital, according to the release.
Barreto adds that patients at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, and Baptist Beaumont Hospital will be enrolled through the UTHealth stroke telemedicine program.
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
