A breakthrough drug that can quickly restore blood flow in people who have suffered a stroke could save thousands of lives every year.
Research has shown that the blood clot-busting therapy, tenecteplase, is more effective and less expensive than similar drugs already on the market.
Tenecteplase, which dissolves blood clots and prevents further clotting after a stroke, is now being given to patients across the country after it was given the green light by the NHS spending watchdog on Friday.
Research shows the drug is as effective as alteplase, an anti-stroke drug available on the NHS.
However, tenecteplase is much cheaper to produce, potentially saving the NHS millions of pounds a year.
A breakthrough drug that can quickly restore vital blood flow in stroke patients is expected to save thousands of lives each year (stock image)
Both alteplase and tenecteplase are used to treat ischemic strokes. These strokes occur when a blockage cuts off the blood supply to part of the brain.
The drugs are administered within hours of the onset of stroke symptoms.
Both work by activating the production of plasmin, an enzyme that breaks down blood clots, to restore blood flow.
However, studies show that tenecteplase, a genetically modified version of alteplase, is better at targeting the specific proteins in clots and also stays in the body longer.
The drug can also be used to treat a suspected heart attack, provided it is taken within six hours of the onset of symptoms.
Around 100,000 people are admitted to hospital each year in England with a stroke, 85 per cent of which turn out to be ischaemic strokes.
Around 100,000 people are admitted to hospital each year in England with a stroke, 85 per cent of whom are later found to have had an ischaemic stroke (stock image)
Another million people in England are living with the effects of a stroke.
“Stroke is one of the biggest killers, so it is important that patients receive treatments that can reduce the impact of a stroke as quickly as possible,” said Helen Knight of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which decides which medicines the NHS funds.
‘The NHS could save millions of pounds by switching to the new treatment, making it a very effective use of taxpayers’ money.’