Grant: Operating Grant: Clinical Trials Projects

ACT-42 is a clinical study designed to improve the treatment of the most common form of stroke, namely, acute ischemic stroke. Acute ischemic stroke is a serious, time-sensitive, medical condition caused by sudden blockage of a brain artery. This leads to decreased blood flow to a region of the brain. With lack of blood flow, brain damage occurs rapidly. For this reason, restoring blood flow rapidly can be lifesaving. Blood flow can be restored using a clot busting medication (thrombolysis) and/or removal of clot using catheters (endovascular thrombectomy or EVT). However, despite the existence of these treatments, re-opening of the arteries may not be fast enough. This leaves many patients disabled. NoNO-42 is a medication developed by a Canadian biotechnology company. It is designed to protect brain cells when they are not getting enough nourishing blood, slowing brain damage and providing more time for thrombolysis or EVT. We will evaluate NoNO-42, comparing it to standard treatment, in patients who are treated with thrombolysis and/or EVT. In this study, both men and women who are between 45 to 90 years of age and suffering from acute ischemic stroke will be included. They will have a 50-50 chance to receive either the new medication, NoNO-42, or a placebo (a harmless substance with no real effect) along with the standard therapy. We will follow the participants for 90 days to see how well they recover from their stroke. The study will be conducted at several hospitals in Canada. A positive result showing that patients who received NoNO-42 will be a major global advance in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.