Vote for Paper of the Year This week's issue of the Lancet invites readers to vote for the Paper of the Year. The ECASS III is topping the list of the six candidates. Voting link: http://www.lexisnexis.com/dpartner/process.asp?qs_id=3885 (check the linke appears as one line in your browser) The candidates: Hacke W, Kaste M, Bluhmki E, et al. Thrombolysis with alteplase 3 to 4.5 hours after acute ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med 2008; 359: 1317-29 Macchiarini P, Jungebluth P, Go T, et al. Clinical transplantation of a tissue-engineered airway. Lancet 2008; 372: 2023-30. Karapetis CS, Khambata-Ford S, Jonker DJ, et al. K-ras mutations and benefit from cetuximab in advanced colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2008; 359: 1757-65. Baqui AH, El-Arifeen S, Darmstadt GL, et al. Effect of community-based newborn-care intervention package implemented through two service-delivery strategies in Sylhet district, Bangladesh: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2008; 371: 1936-44. Park IH, Arora N, Huo H, et al. Disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cells. Cell 2008; 134: 877-86. Zheng JP, Kang J, Huang SG, et al. Effect of carbocisteine on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PEACE Study): a randomised placebo-controlled study. Lancet 2008; 371: 2013-18.

Published 19 Dec, 2008 - 11:28

No benefit of desmoteplase given 3-9 h after stroke onset In an early online publication in the Lancet today Dec 18, 2008, Hacke et al conclude that the DIAS-2 study did not show a benefit of desmoteplase given 3—9 h after the onset of stroke. The high response rate in the placebo group could be explained by the mild strokes recorded (low baseline NIHSS scores, small core lesions, and small mismatch volumes that were associated with no vessel occlusions), which possibly reduced the potential to detect any effect of desmoteplase. Link to the Lancet paper attached:

Published 19 Dec, 2008 - 11:23

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Ancrod Stroke Programme for acute ischaemic stroke terminated Neurobiological Technologies today informed that trials of Viprinex [TM] (Ancrod) are terminated after an interim analysis. The ASP I and ASP II studies were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of Ancrod (Viprinex™) in subjects beginning treatment within 6 hours of the onset of acute, ischemic stroke. Press release: http://investor.shareholder.com/ntii/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=354718 (Please check that the address appears on one line at the browser)

Published 17 Dec, 2008 - 23:54

SITS in alliance with PAREXEL SITS has established an alliance with PAREXEL, a world leading global biopharmaceutical services organisation present in 52 countries around the world. The purpose of this initiative is to strengthen SITS role as a platform for clinical trials.
Published 17 Dec, 2008 - 15:36	Read more

Karolinska Stroke Update Consensus Statement on Thrombolysis TIme Window The first of eight Consensus Statements from the Karolinska Stroke Update meeting in Stockholm is now available - regarding an extension of the time window for intravenous thrombolysis, following the publications of the results of ECASS III and the SITS-ISTR 3-4.5 hour data in New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet. Read the Consensus Statement at www.strokeupdate.org !

Published 16 Dec, 2008 - 21:45

ECASS III showing thrombolysis 3-4.5 h window is effective A week ago the SITS-group presented data in Lancet supporting the conclusion that thrombolysis with alteplase in the time window is safe. Today the ECASS III investigators present data in New England Journal of Medicine showing that the treatment in this time window is also effective.In total 821 patients were included in the study, with 418 randomly allocated to alteplase and 403 to placebo. More patients had favourable outcome with alteplase, 52.4% vs 45.2% with placebo. This is the first study with a positive outcome in acute stroke since 1995 when the first study in thrombolysis was published. November 16-18, the ECASS III paper, together with the SITS paper will be discussed at Karolinska Stroke Update, a discussion which will advice the ESO guidelines committee on whether the European Stroke Organisation guidelines should extend the time window.

Published 25 Sep, 2008 - 17:13

Karolinska Stroke Update 2008: One of the most important discussions for years The results of the SITS 3-4.5 h cohort data and of the ECASS III study - which will be reported at the World Stroke Conference in Vienna on September 25th by prof Werner Hacke, Heidelberg - will be discussed at the Karolinska Stroke Update meeting 16-18 November in Stockholm. The meeting will advice the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) Guidelines committe whether evidence are sufficient to suggest an extention of the time window for thrombolysis in stroke until 4.5 h. Read more and register for the meeting at http://www.strokeupdate.org.

Published 15 Sep, 2008 - 10:00

Comment by Dr Tsivgoulis and Dr Alexandrov on SITS article in Lancet In an accompanying Comment to today's article in the Lancet by the SITS group, Dr Georgios Tsivgoulis and Dr Andrei Alexandrov, Comprehensive Stroke Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, say: “Extension of the timeframe of systemic thrombolysis seems to be a safe option for patients with acute stroke... We are looking forward to moving away from rigid timeframes to treatment based on imaging that can assess brain pathophysiology and tissue viability.”

Published 15 Sep, 2008 - 09:57

SITS-ISTR article today in the Lancet - alteplase safe in 3-4.5 h time window In an article published today in the Lancet from the SITS registry, the authors conclude that the rates of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage, mortality, and independence at 3 months follow-up in routine clinical practice are similar between patients for whom treatment was started between 3 and 4.5 h and for those treated within 3 h after ischaemic stroke onset. These findings lend support to those of the meta-analysis suggesting a potentially longer timeframe for intravenous use of alteplase of 4.5 h. Read press release from the Lancet (in English) and from Karolinska Instituet (in Swedish):

Published 15 Sep, 2008 - 02:45

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Security warning during login Many users have been warried because of a security message that appears when someone is trying to login to SITS database. The message informs that there is a problem with the security certificate of this website and that you are not recommended to proceed. When you login to SITS, you can ignore this message, its a result of the increased security routines in upgraded versions of Internet Explorer. SITS and UCR (Uppsala Clinical Research) are looking for a solution how to avoid the message to appear.

Published 29 Jul, 2008 - 10:15