Control (take 2)I spent the night reading stroke trials and found that some showed statisitical significance mainly because their control group started off with a higher NIHSS score. Because our trial was a double bilind trial it is very possible that our Placebo group got more people with lower base NIHSS scores meaning that they would naturally improve better than someone with a higer base score. In the Licostinel (ACEA 1021) trial the Placebo group started with an NIHSS score of 9.4 and the test group started with a score of 6.8.
The entire study can be found at
https://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/30/3/508
For those looking for some reading... here are some more stroke trials and drugs
Calcium channel blockers Several No benefit [5]
Calcium chelator DP-b99 Ongoing Phase IIB trial [6]
Glutamate receptor antagonists
NMDA antagonists Selfotel No benefit, toxic side effects [7]
Aptiganel (Cerestat) Halted Phase III trial: no evidence [8]
Magnesium Two pilot studies completed, two ongoing [9]
Dextrorphan Phase II: no benefit [10]
MK-801 (Dizocilpine) Abandoned due to side effects [11]
AMPA antagonists YM872 Ongoing [12]
ZK200775 (MPQX) Phase IIA trials halted due to sedative effects [13]
Glycine site antagonists Gavestinel (GV150526) Two Phase III trials: no benefit [14,15]
Licostinel (ACEA 1021) Phase II trial: safe with low dose [16]
Other channel blockers/modulators
GABA agonists Clomethiazole RCT completed: no benefit [17]
Diazepam Phase III multicentre trial: ongoing [18]
Sodium channel blockers Fosphenytoin Phase III multicentre RCT (n=233): no benefit [19]
Sipatrigine No benefit [20]
Potassium channel activator Maxipost (BMS-204352) Phase III trial: no benefit [21]
Serotonin agonists Repinotan Phase III abandoned: no benefit [22]
Free radical scavengers Tirilazad No benefit [23]
Ebselen Multicentre RCT: sign. Better outcome at [24]
1 month, but not at 3 months
NXY-059 Positive Phase III trial, 2nd ongoing [25]
Anti-inflammatory drugs Enlimomab Phase III RCT: treatment worsened outcome [26]
LeukArrest, Rovelizumab Phase III trial terminated due to interim results [27]
(Hu23F2G)
RNIF (recombinant neutrophil European Phase II trial terminated in [28]
inhibitory factor) 2003 due to side effects
UK-279,276 Safe and tolerable; ongoing [29]
Other mechanisms
Monogangliosides GM1 No benefit [30]
Growth factors Erythropoietin Improvement in pilot study [31]
Opioid antagonists Nalmefene Two negative trials [32]
Phosphatidylcholine precursor Citicoline Meta-analysis of five trials: improvement in subgroup [33]
Preventive antibiotic treatment Levofloxacin No benefit [34]
Unknown mechanism Piracetam Phase III RCT: no benefit on primary endpoint [35]