Study of the Combination Therapy of Rt-PA and Eptifibatide to Treat Acute Ischemic Stroke (CLEAR-FDR)

The Combined Approach to Lysis Utilizing Eptifibatide and rt-PA in Acute Ischemic Stroke-Full Dose Regimen (CLEAR-FDR Stroke Trial) is a Phase II trial and part of the Specialized Program on Translational Research in Acute Stroke (SPOTRIAS). The overall goals of SPOTRIAS are to enhance delivery of acute stroke patient care and train acute stroke translational researchers. Stroke most often occurs when blood flow to the brain stops because it is blocked by a blood clot. When a blood clot blocks the blood supply to the brain, parts of the brain may not get enough blood and oxygen to survive. As a result, permanent brain damage can occur, which can affect a person's ability to walk, talk, and function independently. In order to reduce the risk of permanent damage, it is important to restore blood flow to the brain as quickly as possible. rt-PA, used alone, is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as treatment for patients with a stroke caused by blockage of an artery in the brain and when given within 3 hours of the onset of stroke symptoms. Eptifibatide is also already FDA-approved as a treatment for blood clots causing heart attack. The investigational aspect of this study is the use of eptifibatide for a stroke victim in combination with rt-PA. The CLEAR Stroke Trial demonstrated that the combination of low dose rt-PA plus eptifibatide can be safely given to acute ischemic stroke patients within 3 hours of symptom onset. The CLEAR-ER Stroke Trial demonstrated that the combination of medium dose rt-PA plus eptifibatide can be safely given to acute ischemic stroke patients within 3 hours of symptom onset. The CLEAR-FDR Stroke Trial is designed to provide data concerning the risks when combining eptifibatide with full dose intravenous rt-PA in 30 acute ischemic stroke patients within 3 hours of symptom onset.