StrokePhase 3EXTENDNCT00887328
Extending the Time for Thrombolysis in Emergency Neurological Deficits
A Phase 3 study testing Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase) in people with Stroke, run by Neuroscience Trials Australia at 22 sites in 3 countries.
Trial summary
The primary hypothesis being tested in this trial is that ischaemic stroke patients selected with significant penumbral mismatch (measured by MRI criteria) at 3 - 9 hours post onset of stroke will have improved clinical outcomes when given intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) compared to placebo. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Stroke
- What is being tested?
- Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase)
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- 22 sitesin 3 countries
- Study dates
- Jun 2010to 27 Aug 2018
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients presenting with hemispheric acute ischaemic stroke
- Patient, family member or legally responsible person depending on local ethics requirements has given informed consent
- Patient's age is ≥18 years
- Treatment onset can commence within ≥ 3 - 9 hours after stroke onset according to registered product information, or within 4.5 - 9 hours according to locally accepted guidelines*.
- (Guidelines are currently under international review - advisory statement issued by the Stroke Council, American Heart Association and American Stroke Association)
- Patients who wake with stroke may be included if neurological and other exclusion criteria are satisfied. These 'wake up' strokes are defined as having no symptoms at sleep onset, but stroke symptoms on waking. The time of stroke onset is to be taken as the mid-point between sleep onset (or last known to be normal) and time of waking. The maximum time window for randomisation is then 9 hours from the mid-point as described.
Show all 9Show fewer
- NIHSS score of ≥ 4 - 26 with clinical signs of hemispheric infarction.
- Penumbral mismatch - A "hypo-perfusion to core" volume ratio of greater than 1.2 and an absolute difference greater than 10mL (using a MR or CT Tmax > 6 second delay) between perfusion lesion and MR-DWI or CT-CBF core lesion.
- An ischaemic core lesion volume of less than or equal to 70 ml using MR-DWI or CT-CBF ** Patients may be consented before or after penumbral screening depending upon local practice. The entire cohort of patients consented onto the study will be followed up with clinical assessments and biomarker studies regardless of eligibility for randomisation to treatment based on penumbral mismatch criteria
Who cannot join
- Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) identified by CT or MRI
- Rapidly improving symptoms, particularly if in the judgment of the managing clinician that the improvement is likely to result in the patient having an NIHSS score of < 4 at randomization
- Pre-stroke MRS score of ≥ 2 (indicating previous disability)
- Contra indication to imaging with MR with contrast agents
- Infarct core >1/3 MCA territory qualitatively
- Participation in any investigational study in the previous 30 days
Show all 21Show fewer
- Any terminal illness such that patient would not be expected to survive more than 1 year
- Any condition that could impose hazards to the patient if study therapy is initiated or affect the participation of the patient in the study (this applies to patients with severe microangiopathy such as haemolytic uremic syndrome or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura). The judgment is left to the discretion of the Investigator.
- Pregnant women (clinically evident)
- Previous stroke within last three months
- Recent past history or clinical presentation of ICH, subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), arterio-venous (AV) malformation, aneurysm, or cerebral neoplasm. At the discretion of each Investigator.
- Current use of oral anticoagulants or a prolonged prothrombin time (INR > 1.7) if the patient is on warfarin
- Use of heparin, except for low dose subcutaneous heparin, in the previous 48 hours and an activated prolonged partial thromboplastin time exceeding the upper limit of the local laboratory normal range.
- Use of glycoprotein IIb - IIIa inhibitors within the past 72 hours. Use of single or dual agent oral platelet inhibitors (clopidogrel and/or low-dose aspirin) prior to study entry is permitted.
- Clinically significant hypoglycaemia.
- Uncontrolled hypertension defined by a blood pressure > 185 mmHg systolic or >110 mmHg diastolic on at least 2 separate occasions at least 10 minutes apart, or requiring aggressive treatment to reduce the blood pressure to within these limits. The definition of "aggressive treatment" is left to the discretion of the responsible Investigator.
- Hereditary or acquired haemorrhagic diathesis
- Gastrointestinal or urinary bleeding within the preceding 21 days
- Major surgery within the preceding 14 days which poses risk in the opinion of the investigator.
- Exposure to a thrombolytic agent within the previous 72 hours
- Clinically deemed eligible for Endovascular Clot Retrieval (ECR) treatment by the treating team
Trial locations and contacts
22 sites in 3 countries.
22 sites in 3 countries
Australia20 sites
Royal Adelaide Hospital
Adelaide, South Australia, 5000
Flinders Medical Centre
Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042
Box Hill Hospital
Box Hill, Victoria, 3128
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital
Brisbane, Queensland, 4029
Monash Medical Centre
Clayton, Victoria, 3168
Lyell McEwin Hospital
Elizabeth Vale, South Australia, 5112
Western Hospital
Footscray, Victoria, 3011
Geelong Hospital
Geelong, Victoria, 3220
Gold Coast University Hospital
Gold Coast, Queensland
Austin Hospital
Heidelberg, Victoria
Gosford Hospital
Kanwal, New South Wales, 2259
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Melbourne, Victoria, 3050
Sunshine Coast University Hospital
Nambour, Queensland, 4560
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009
John Hunter Hospital
Newcastle, New South Wales
Royal Perth Hospital
Perth, Western Australia, 6000
Epworth Healthcare
Richmond, Victoria, 3121
Royal North Shore Hospital
St Leonards, New South Wales, 2065
St. Vincent's Hospital
Sydney, New South Wales, 6009
Westmead Hospital
Westmead, New South Wales, 2145
About this study
The primary hypothesis being tested in this trial is that ischaemic stroke patients selected with significant penumbral mismatch (measured by MRI criteria) at 3 - 9 hours post onset of stroke will have improved clinical outcomes when given intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) compared to placebo.
- Conditions
- Stroke
- Being tested
- Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase), Placebo
- Keywords
- ischemic stroke, ischemic penumbra, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, diffusion imaging, DWI, perfusion imaging, PWI, thrombolysis, alteplase, tPA, EPITHET
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke, Ischemic Stroke
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase)Drug
Also called Actilyse, Activase, tPA, r-tPA
0.9 mg/kg up to a maximum of 90mg, intravenous, 10% as bolus and the remainder over 1 hour
PlaceboDrug
placebo provided as 50mg lyophilised powder to be reconstituted with sterile water in glass vials indistinguishable from active drug
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| IV tPA | Experimental | intravenous tissue plasminogen activator Receives: Drug: Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase) |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Not described Receives: Drug: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-1
Measured: 3 months
Secondary outcomes (10)
Categorical shift in modified Rankin Score (mRS)
Measured: 3 months
Change in ≥ 8 NIHSS points or reaching ≤ 1 on this scale
Measured: 3 months
Death due to any cause
Measured: 3 months
Symptomatic ICH
Symptomatic hemorrhage defined by SITS-MOST criteria: type 2 parenchymal hematoma associated with ≥4 point increase in NIHSS
Measured: 24 hours
Reperfusion
Measured: 24 hours
Recanalisation
Measured: 24 hours
Infarct growth
Difference in volumetric DWI volume between baseline and 24 hour MRI
Measured: 24 hours
Recurrent stroke
Measured: 3 and 12 months
Depression (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS])
Measured: 3 and 12 months
Quality of life (Stroke Impact Scale)
Measured: 3 and 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Apr 2009 (estimated)
- Study startJun 2010
- Primary completion27 Aug 2018
- Study completion27 Aug 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (6)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for StrokeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Neuroscience Trials Australia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Health, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Geoffrey Donnan, MD FRACP, Principal investigator, The Florey Institute of Neuroscence and Mental HealthStephen Davis, MD FRACP, Principal investigator, University of Melbourne
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00887328
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- NTA0901
- Acronym
- EXTEND
- Status last verified
- Aug 2018
- First submitted
- 22 Apr 2009
- Last updated
- 31 Aug 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Publications
Sihvonen AJ, Brownsett SLE, Copland DA, Walsh A, Davis SM, Donnan GA, Carey LM. Network-level disconnectivity tracks poststroke depressive symptom improvement. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2026 Aug;80(8):676-681. doi: 10.1111/pcn.70075. Epub 2026 May 14.
PubMed 42132478Bivard A, Churilov L, Ma H, Levi C, Campbell B, Yassi N, Meretoja A, Zhao H, Sharma G, Chen C, Davis S, Donnan G, Yan B, Parsons M; EXTEND investigators. Does variability in automated perfusion software outputs for acute ischemic stroke matter? Reanalysis of EXTEND perfusion imaging. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2022 Jan;28(1):139-144. doi: 10.1111/cns.13756. Epub 2021 Nov 16.
PubMed 34786868Goodin P, Lamp G, Vidyasagar R, Connelly A, Rose S, Campbell BCV, Tse T, Ma H, Howells D, Hankey GJ, Davis S, Donnan G, Carey LM. Correlated Resting-State Functional MRI Activity of Frontostriatal, Thalamic, Temporal, and Cerebellar Brain Regions Differentiates Stroke Survivors with High Compared to Low Depressive Symptom Scores. Neural Plast. 2019 Jul 28;2019:2357107. doi: 10.1155/2019/2357107. eCollection 2019.
PubMed 31467520Ma H, Campbell BCV, Parsons MW, Churilov L, Levi CR, Hsu C, Kleinig TJ, Wijeratne T, Curtze S, Dewey HM, Miteff F, Tsai CH, Lee JT, Phan TG, Mahant N, Sun MC, Krause M, Sturm J, Grimley R, Chen CH, Hu CJ, Wong AA, Field D, Sun Y, Barber PA, Sabet A, Jannes J, Jeng JS, Clissold B, Markus R, Lin CH, Lien LM, Bladin CF, Christensen S, Yassi N, Sharma G, Bivard A, Desmond PM, Yan B, Mitchell PJ, Thijs V, Carey L, Meretoja A, Davis SM, Donnan GA; EXTEND Investigators. Thrombolysis Guided by Perfusion Imaging up to 9 Hours after Onset of Stroke. N Engl J Med. 2019 May 9;380(19):1795-1803. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1813046.
PubMed 31067369Churilov L, Ma H, Campbell BC, Davis SM, Donnan GA. Statistical Analysis Plan for EXtending the time for Thrombolysis in Emergency Neurological Deficits (EXTEND) trial. Int J Stroke. 2020 Feb;15(2):231-238. doi: 10.1177/1747493018816101. Epub 2018 Dec 7.
PubMed 30523735Tse T, Binte Yusoff SZ, Churilov L, Ma H, Davis S, Donnan GA, Carey LM; START research team. Increased work and social engagement is associated with increased stroke specific quality of life in stroke survivors at 3 months and 12 months post-stroke: a longitudinal study of an Australian stroke cohort. Top Stroke Rehabil. 2017 Sep;24(6):405-414. doi: 10.1080/10749357.2017.1318339. Epub 2017 Apr 24.
PubMed 28438076
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 31 Aug 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Extending the Time for Thrombolysis in Emergency Neurological Deficits
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00887328
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EXTEND / NTA0901
- Conditions
- Stroke
- Keywords
- ischemic stroke, ischemic penumbra, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, diffusion imaging, DWI, perfusion imaging, PWI
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Neuroscience Trials AustraliaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Health, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Study start
- Jun 2010
- Primary completion
- 27 Aug 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 27 Aug 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 23 Apr 2009 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The primary hypothesis being tested in this trial is that ischaemic stroke patients selected with significant penumbral mismatch (measured by MRI criteria) at 3 - 9 hours post onset of stroke will have improved clinical outcomes when given intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) compared to placebo.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| IV tPA | Experimental | Drug: Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase)intravenous tissue plasminogen activator |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Drug: Placebo |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Patients presenting with hemispheric acute ischaemic stroke
- Patient, family member or legally responsible person depending on local ethics requirements has given informed consent
- Patient's age is ≥18 years
- Treatment onset can commence within ≥ 3 - 9 hours after stroke onset according to registered product information, or within 4.5 - 9 hours according to locally accepted guidelines*.
- (Guidelines are currently under international review - advisory statement issued by the Stroke Council, American Heart Association and American Stroke Association)
Key exclusion criteria (21 listed)
- Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) identified by CT or MRI
- Rapidly improving symptoms, particularly if in the judgment of the managing clinician that the improvement is likely to result in the patient having an NIHSS score of < 4 at randomization
- Pre-stroke MRS score of ≥ 2 (indicating previous disability)
- Contra indication to imaging with MR with contrast agents
- Infarct core >1/3 MCA territory qualitatively
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase)Also: Actilyse, Activase, tPA, r-tPA0.9 mg/kg up to a maximum of 90mg, intravenous, 10% as bolus and the remainder over 1 hour | Drug | IV tPA |
| Placeboplacebo provided as 50mg lyophilised powder to be reconstituted with sterile water in glass vials indistinguishable from active drug | Drug | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-1
Time frame: 3 months
10 secondary outcomes
Categorical shift in modified Rankin Score (mRS)
Time frame: 3 months
Change in ≥ 8 NIHSS points or reaching ≤ 1 on this scale
Time frame: 3 months
Death due to any cause
Time frame: 3 months
Symptomatic ICH
Time frame: 24 hours
Reperfusion
Time frame: 24 hours
Recanalisation
Time frame: 24 hours
Infarct growth
Time frame: 24 hours
Recurrent stroke
Time frame: 3 and 12 months
Depression (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS])
Time frame: 3 and 12 months
Quality of life (Stroke Impact Scale)
Time frame: 3 and 12 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 31 Aug 2018.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42132478Sihvonen AJ, Brownsett SLE, Copland DA, Walsh A, Davis SM, Donnan GA, Carey LM. Network-level disconnectivity tracks poststroke depressive symptom improvement. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2026 Aug;80(8):676-681. doi: 10.1111/pcn.70075. Epub 2026 May 14.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 34786868Bivard A, Churilov L, Ma H, Levi C, Campbell B, Yassi N, Meretoja A, Zhao H, Sharma G, Chen C, Davis S, Donnan G, Yan B, Parsons M; EXTEND investigators. Does variability in automated perfusion software outputs for acute ischemic stroke matter? Reanalysis of EXTEND perfusion imaging. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2022 Jan;28(1):139-144. doi: 10.1111/cns.13756. Epub 2021 Nov 16.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 31467520Goodin P, Lamp G, Vidyasagar R, Connelly A, Rose S, Campbell BCV, Tse T, Ma H, Howells D, Hankey GJ, Davis S, Donnan G, Carey LM. Correlated Resting-State Functional MRI Activity of Frontostriatal, Thalamic, Temporal, and Cerebellar Brain Regions Differentiates Stroke Survivors with High Compared to Low Depressive Symptom Scores. Neural Plast. 2019 Jul 28;2019:2357107. doi: 10.1155/2019/2357107. eCollection 2019.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 31067369Ma H, Campbell BCV, Parsons MW, Churilov L, Levi CR, Hsu C, Kleinig TJ, Wijeratne T, Curtze S, Dewey HM, Miteff F, Tsai CH, Lee JT, Phan TG, Mahant N, Sun MC, Krause M, Sturm J, Grimley R, Chen CH, Hu CJ, Wong AA, Field D, Sun Y, Barber PA, Sabet A, Jannes J, Jeng JS, Clissold B, Markus R, Lin CH, Lien LM, Bladin CF, Christensen S, Yassi N, Sharma G, Bivard A, Desmond PM, Yan B, Mitchell PJ, Thijs V, Carey L, Meretoja A, Davis SM, Donnan GA; EXTEND Investigators. Thrombolysis Guided by Perfusion Imaging up to 9 Hours after Onset of Stroke. N Engl J Med. 2019 May 9;380(19):1795-1803. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1813046.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 30523735Churilov L, Ma H, Campbell BC, Davis SM, Donnan GA. Statistical Analysis Plan for EXtending the time for Thrombolysis in Emergency Neurological Deficits (EXTEND) trial. Int J Stroke. 2020 Feb;15(2):231-238. doi: 10.1177/1747493018816101. Epub 2018 Dec 7.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 28438076Tse T, Binte Yusoff SZ, Churilov L, Ma H, Davis S, Donnan GA, Carey LM; START research team. Increased work and social engagement is associated with increased stroke specific quality of life in stroke survivors at 3 months and 12 months post-stroke: a longitudinal study of an Australian stroke cohort. Top Stroke Rehabil. 2017 Sep;24(6):405-414. doi: 10.1080/10749357.2017.1318339. Epub 2017 Apr 24.
Related trials for Stroke
Not yet recruiting
Temporal Interference Stimulation for Upper-Limb Motor Recovery in Early Subacute Stroke
Acute Ischemic Stroke
RecruitingObservational study
ELATE Study: Evaluating Large-vessel Acute Thrombectomy in Extended Time Window
Acute Ichemic Stroke
Recruiting
Web-Based Tele-Rehabilitation Using Action Observation and Mirror Therapy for Subacute Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Stroke, Upper Extremity Paresis
Recruiting
Early Motor-Cognitive Integrative Training on Cognitive and Motor Performance in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Subarachnoid Aneurysm Hemorrhage
Not yet recruiting
Selective Intra-Arterial Hypothermia After Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion
Acute Ischemic Stroke, Basilar Artery Occlusion
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Geoffrey Donnan, MD FRACP principal investigator
The Florey Institute of Neuroscence and Mental Health
Stephen Davis, MD FRACP principal investigator
University of Melbourne
22 sites in 3 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing Tissue Plasminogen Activator (Alteplase) in people with Stroke, run by Neuroscience Trials Australia at 22 sites in 3 countries.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 21 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 31 Aug 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 22 sites in Australia, Finland, New Zealand. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-1 (time frame: 3 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00887328, which also lists 6 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 31 Aug 2018.