Study finds no benefit of intra-arterial thrombolytics after stroke thrombectomy

Recent studies found that adding intra-arterial thrombolytics, urokinase and tenecteplase, after successful stroke thrombectomy did not improve patient outcomes. Two trials involving over 1,000 patients showed no significant benefits in functional recovery. While there were no increases in mortality or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, tenecteplase was linked to a higher rate of any radiologic intracranial hemorrhage at 48 hours. The trials were conducted in China from 2022 to 2024 and published in JAMA. The findings contrast with earlier research suggesting potential benefits of intra-arterial alteplase. Further studies are planned to explore the effects of thrombolytics in stroke treatment.