A revolutionary anti-clotting drug has been described as a potential holy grail for stroke patients.
Decades in the making, the blood thinning drug TBO-309 has shown incredible promise in early research with potential to improve blood flow to the brain of stroke patients.
When used in conjunction with existing therapies it could reduce or even prevent brain injuries in the patients, Heart Research Institute professor Shaun Jackson says.
Prof Jackson says it could be the first stroke treatment breakthrough in more than three decades, allowing 90 per cent of patients increased early treatment options as the drug begins human trials.
"If this drug can improve blood flow to the brain, without causing excessive bleeding, it could be a game-changer," he said.
The trial will involve 80 patients in six Australian hospitals who will have the chance to take the drug with existing treatments when they come into emergency suffering stroke.
"The longer it takes you to get treatment, the worse off you will be," Prof Jackson says.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, affecting 16 million people worldwide every year.
To date, there has only been a single treatment called tPA which dissolves blood clots in the arteries of the brain during strokes.
But the institute's associate professor Simone Schoenwaelder says the current treatment was only effective in 10 per cent of stroke victims.
“The benefit of this novel anti-clotting drug is its unprecedented safety profile," she said.
Unlike other blood thinners, Prof Schoenwaelder says TBO-309's anti-clotting activity potentially comes without the risk of bleeding that can lead to further brain damage and death.
It belongs to a group of blood thinners including aspirin which has been deemed as an effective way to reduce the risk of heart attack in some patients.
"This drug could be that for stroke," Prof Jackson said.
