Grant: Project Grant

Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a procedure that improves recovery for people who suffer a stroke by removing blood clots from large blood vessels in the brain. However, over half of the patients receiving EVT either pass away or are left with serious disabilities within three months. This is partly because, even in cases of a successful procedure, brain tissue damage continues to grow. Size of brain damage is a major factor in how well a patient recovers after a stroke. Several studies in mice have shown that a drug called liraglutide reduces tissue damage growth and improves recovery after a stroke caused by blockage of a large brain vessel. In humans liraglutide reduces the risk for a stroke or a heart attack when given for the treatment of diabetes or obesity. These properties make liraglutide an attractive drug to test in patients with a recent stroke undergoing EVT to remove a clot in the brain vessels. We are hoping to test whether giving liraglutide as a daily injection under the skin to stroke patients undergoing EVT can improve their recovery. A very large study at many hospitals is needed to answer this question. We are starting with a smaller study to gain information on whether it is possible to perform a larger definitive one, and if so, how best to plan for it. In this first step we will study 100 patients with stroke treated with EVT in 10 stroke centres across Canada. These patients will be randomly divided (like flipping a coin) into two groups: one will receive daily liraglutide injections for 13 weeks, while the other will not receive the drug. We will track how many patients agree to participate, how many stay in the study, and how well they follow the treatment plan. We will also monitor the patients' recovery, overall health, and any side effects from the treatment. These results will provide important information to plan our larger study with the goal of reducing death rates and long-term disability in stroke patients undergoing EVT.