title: The ALIAS (ALbumin In Acute Stroke) Phase III randomized multicentre clinical trial: design and progress report.
abstract: High-dose human ALB (albumin) therapy is highly neuroprotective in animal models of ischaemic stroke. A recently completed 82-subject pilot-phase dose-escalation trial has shown that ALB is safe, with strong preliminary suggestions of possible efficacy. We are now proceeding to a large randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled multicentre trial funded by the NIH (National Institutes of Health), the ALIAS (Albumin In Acute Stroke) Phase III Trial, which is designed to ascertain definitively whether high-dose ALB therapy confers neuroprotection in subjects with acute ischaemic stroke treated within 5 h of stroke onset. The primary efficacy outcome measure is a favourable outcome, defined as an NIHSS (NIH Stroke Scale) score of 0-1 or a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-1 at 3 months post-randomization. Separate randomization (1:1) to ALB or placebo therapy will be carried out in two cohorts of 900 subjects each, one that receives standard-of-care thrombolytic therapy and the other that does not. Approx. 60 North American clinical sites will participate. Subject enrollment is expected to commence in July 2006.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016960, Miami, FL 33101, USA. mdginsberg@stroke.med.miami.edu
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Palesch
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012107:Research Design; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin