Anti-Inflammatory Thrombolytic JX10 (TMS-007) in Late Presentation of Acute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND: Contemporary thrombolytics in acute ischemic stroke are limited to administration within 4.5 hours of last known normal. JX10 (formerly TMS-007), a Stachybotrys microspora triprenyl phenol family member, may extend this therapeutic window. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation phase 2a study, JX10 or placebo was administered as a single intravenous infusion to Japanese patients with acute ischemic stroke who were unable to receive tissue-type plasminogen activator or thrombectomy within 12 hours of last known normal. Primary end point was incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage with a worsening National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of >= 4 points within 24 hours of drug administration (symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage incidence). RESULTS: Ninety patients received either placebo (n=38; female 26.3%) or JX10 at 1, 3, or 6 mg/kg (n=6, 18, 28; female 0%, 33.3%, and 42.9%, respectively). Median age (range) and baseline median (range) National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were respectively 76.5 (42-87) and 8 (6-21) for the combined JX10 cohort (JX10 Cohorts) and 75.0 (34-85) and 8 (6-22) for placebo. Median (range) dosing time since last known normal was 9.5 (5.0-12.1) and 10.0 (3.7-12.0) hours for JX10 Cohorts and placebo, respectively. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage incidence was 0% (0/52 [95% CI, 0.0-5.6]) for JX10 Cohorts versus 2.6% (1/38 [95% CI, 0.1-13.8]) for placebo (P=0.42). Vessel patency at 24 hours (secondary end point) in patients with baseline arterial occlusive lesion score <3 (39/90) improved in 58.3% (14/24) of patients in JX10 Cohorts versus 26.7% (4/15) for placebo (odds ratio, 4.23 [95% CI, 0.99-18.07]). In JX10 Cohorts, a significantly higher proportion of patients had modified Rankin Scale scores of 0 to 1 on day 90 (secondary end point) versus placebo (JX10: 21/52, 40.4% versus placebo: 7/38, 18.4%; P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: JX10 was well tolerated and may expand the acute ischemic stroke therapeutic window as a novel thrombolytic agent.