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NCT Number: NCT07621796

Efficacy and Safety of Tenecteplase Among acutE Ischemic Stroke Patients With Recent Ingestion of Direct Oral Anticoagulant

The study will randomize patients with acute ischemic stroke and Direct Oral AntiCoagulants (DOAC) ingestion within 48 hours from enrollment (but otherwise eligible for thrombolysis) to administration of intravenous tenecteplase vs. placebo (1:1).

Participants will be enrolled at NIH StrokeNet sites across the US and followed for 90-days.

The primary aim is to determine the efficacy of intravenous tenecteplase (TNK) vs placebo among acute ischemic stroke patients and to determine the safety of TNK among acute ischemic stroke patients within 4.5 hours of last known well who used DOAC within 48 hours prior to thrombolysis. Efficacy and safety endpoints will be the focus of this proposed Phase III study.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Hackensack Meridian Health - Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Neptune City, New Jersey, 07753, United States

Location contact

Danielle Dubenezic

CONTACT

[email protected]

732-897-8175

Shadi Yaghi, MD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults (18 years or older) with a suspected acute ischemic stroke and clearly disabling deficits
  • Presenting within 4.5 hours of last known well
  • Able to initiate intravenous thrombolysis within 4.5 hours of last known well
  • On recent DOAC therapy (dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban) and known last dose taken within 48 hours from thrombolysis.

Exclusion criteria

  • Current or history of intracerebral hemorrhage
  • Non-disabling deficits
  • Bleeding disorder (e.g. hemophilia) or advanced liver disease or known INR > 1.7 within 6 hours
  • Use of therapeutic low molecular weight heparin or therapeutic dose heparin with elevated PTT
  • ASPECTS < 6 or clear hypodensity on CT suggestive of completed infarct
  • Advanced kidney disease (eGFR < 30 ml/min)
  • Known or suspected aortic dissection
  • Known or high suspicion for infective endocarditis
  • Surgery within 2 weeks
  • Intracranial or intraspinal surgery within 3 months
  • Active internal bleeding or gastrointestinal or urinary tract hemorrhage within 3 weeks
  • Intracranial neoplasm, arterio-venous malformation, or cavernous malformation
  • Major head trauma or ischemic stroke within 3 months
  • Known thrombocytopenia (platelets < 100,000)
  • Planned endovascular treatment within 30 minutes of study drug administration (i.e., consent, randomization and administration of study drug must occur at least 30 minutes prior to groin puncture; standard care is not to be delayed and patients in whom endovascular therapy will start sooner will not be enrolled)
  • Comorbid condition with life expectancy of less than 3 months
  • Any condition that precludes thrombolytic therapy as determined by site principal investigator
  • Pregnancy

Treatment and study plan

Intravenous tenecteplase (TNK)

Drug

Intravenous administration of tenecteplase (TNK) at 0.25 mg/kg for a maximum dose of 25 mg.

Placebo

Drug

Placebo

Primary outcomes

  1. Efficacy of intravenous Tenecteplase (TNK)

    Time frame: 90 days post administration

    Determine the efficacy of intravenous Tenecteplase (TNK) vs placebo among acute ischemic stroke patients within 4.5 hours of their last known well who used DOAC within 48 hours prior to thrombolysis.

    The primary endpoint is 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Modified Rankin Scale is a 6 point tool to assess disability with 0 being no disability and 6 being death.

  2. Safety of intravenous TNK

    Time frame: within 36 hours from thrombolysis administration

    Determine the safety of intravenous TNK among acute ischemic stroke patients within 4.5 hours of last known well who used DOAC within 48 hours prior to thrombolysis.

    The primary safety endpoint is symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) sICH is defined as any hemorrhage with neurological deterioration in the form of ≥ 4 points increase in the NIHSS, or that leads to death and is identified as the predominant cause of the neurologic deterioration (ECASS III definition) and occurring within 36 hours from thrombolysis administration

Secondary outcomes

  1. Patients with excellent functional outcome

    Time frame: 90 days post administration

    To compare the percentage of patients with excellent functional outcome (mRS 0-1) between intravenous TNK versus placebo.

    mRS 0-1 at 90-days The endpoint of mRS 0-1 at 90 days is a standard outcome used in stroke trials to measure functional improvements after acute treatments such as thrombolysis and endovascular treatment

  2. Patients with good functional outcome

    Time frame: 90 days post administration

    To compare the percentage of patients with good functional outcome (mRS 0-2) between intravenous TNK versus placebo.

    mRS 0-2 at 90-days The endpoint of mRS 0-2 at 90 days is a standard outcome used in stroke trials to measure functional improvements after acute treatments such as thrombolysis and endovascular treatment

  3. Utility weighted mRS between intravenous TNK versus placebo

    Time frame: 90 days post administration

    To compare the utility weighted mRS between intravenous TNK versus placebo. Utility weighted mRS The endpoint of Utility mRS at 90 days is a standard outcome used in stroke trials to measure functional improvements after acute treatments such as thrombolysis and endovascular treatment

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Danielle Dubenezic

CONTACT

[email protected]

732-897-8175

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hackensack Meridian Health

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Efficacy and Safety of Tenecteplase Among acutE Ischemic Stroke Patients With Recent Ingestion of Direct Oral Anticoagulant (ESTER-DOAC)

Acronym: ESTER-DOAC

Important dates

Study start
2027
Primary completion
2032
Study completion
2032
First posted
Jun 2, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 2, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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