title: Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator plus eptifibatide versus recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator alone in acute ischemic stroke: propensity score-matched post hoc analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Combined Approach to Lysis Utilizing Eptifibatide and rt-PA in Acute Ischemic Stroke-Enhanced Regimen (CLEAR-ER) trial demonstrated safety of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) plus eptifibatide in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). CLEAR-ER randomized AIS patients (5:1) to 0.6 mg/kg r-tPA plus eptifibatide versus standard r-tPA (0.9 mg/kg). Interventional Management of Stroke III randomized AIS patients to r-tPA plus endovascular therapy versus standard r-tPA. Albumin in Acute Stroke Part 2 randomized patients to albumin±r-tPA versus saline±r-tPA. Our aim was to compare outcomes in CLEAR-ER combination arm patients to propensity score-matched r-tPA only subjects in Albumin in Acute Stroke Part 2 and Interventional Management of Stroke III.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was 90-day severity-adjusted modified Rankin score (mRS) dichotomization based on baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Secondary outcomes were 90-day mRS dichotomization as excellent (mRS, 0-1); mRS dichotomization as favorable (mRS, 0-2); and nonparametric analysis of the ordinal mRS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-five combination arm CLEAR-ER subjects were matched with 169 Albumin in Acute Stroke Part 2 and Interventional Management of Stroke III trials' r-tPA only patients (controls). Median age in CLEAR-ER and control subjects was 68years; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale in the CLEAR-ER subjects was 11 and in control subjects 12. At 90 days, CLEAR-ER subjects had a nonsignificantly greater proportion of patients with favorable outcomes (45% versus 36%; unadjusted relative risks, 1.24; 95% confidence intervals, 0.91-1.69; P=0.18). Secondary outcomes were 52% versus 34% excellent outcomes (relative risks, 1.51; 95% confidence intervals, 1.13-2.02; P=0.007); 60% versus 53% favorable outcome (relative risks, 1.13; 95% confidence intervals, 0.90-1.41; P=0.31); and ordinal Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel P=0.10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  r-tPA plus eptifibatide showed a favorable direction of effect that was consistent across multiple approaches for AIS outcome evaluation. A phase III trial to establish the efficacy of r-tPA plus eptifibatide for improving AIS outcomes is warranted.
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.). Opeolu.Adeoye@uc.edu.
authors.forename: Opeolu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adeoye
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sucharew
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khoury
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomsick
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Khatri
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Palesch
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Schmit
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Arthur M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pancioli
authors.affiliation: From the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, OH (O.A., P.K., P.A.S., A.M.P., J.P.B.); Departments of Emergency Medicine (O.A., P.A.S., A.M.P.), Neurosurgery (O.A.), Radiology (T.T.), and Neurology (P.K., J.P.B.), University of Cincinnati, OH; Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH (H.S., J.K.); and Division of Biostatistics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC (Y.P.).
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Broderick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000077542:Eptifibatide; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D057216:Propensity Score; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010455:Peptides; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D000077542:Eptifibatide
keywords: clinical trial; eptifibatide; tissue-type plasminogen activator