UW doctors are excited about what may be the first major breakthrough in stroke treatment.
Researchers are studying a hemophilia drug. They found it substantially reduces death, disability and bleeding in the brains of patients with intracerebral strokes. The bleeding during these strokes occurs inside the brain.
The drug raises hopes of a new therapy for one of the worst acute medical conditions that has had few treatment options.
Director of UW's Stroke Program George Newman says, "Dr. Meyer realized that we could use this Factor 7 concentrate to give it to the patients early on when they still had a small stroke to prevent the growth of that stroke and therefore to change the prognosis in a very favorable way."
The findings were reported in the "New England Journal of Medicine." Dr. Stephan Meyer was one of the leading authors.
Doctors at the UW say they will be involved in further study slated to begin early April.
