StrokeNCT06472336
IntraCranial Atherosclerosis Related Large-vessel Occlusion Treated With Urgent Stenting (ICARUS)
A study testing Intracranial stenting and Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT) in people with Stroke and Stroke, Acute Ischemic, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The goal of this international, multi-center, randomized clinical trial is to compare two treatment options, early intracranial stenting and continued stent-retriever or aspiration based endovascular treatment, for stroke patients with a large vessel occlusion, who experienced failure of recanalisation after initial… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Stroke, Stroke, Acute Ischemic, Intracranial Atherosclerosis
- What is being tested?
- Intracranial stenting and Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT)
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion, Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 498 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 31 Mar 2025to Aug 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- A relevant clinical deficit defined as a National Institute of Health Stoke Scale (NIHSS) Score of ≥ 6 points for anterior circulation stroke and a NIHSS Score of ≥ 10 for posterior circulation stroke
- Anticipated randomization within 24 hours of last seen well (LSW)
- Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery, the M1 segment, the proximal/dominant M2 segment of the Middle Cerebral Artery, the Basilar Artery or the V4 segment of the Vertebral Artery
- Absence of recanalization (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction score of 0 or 1) after up to three endovascular treatment passes
- High probability of underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease based on the assessment of the treating physician
- Age ≥ 18 years
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- Occluded artery amendable to stenting by judgement of the treating physician
- Absence of a large infarct core defined as (posterior circulation) Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score of 6 or above
- Informed Consent as documented by signature or fulfilling the criteria for emergency consent procedures
Who cannot join
- Acute intracranial haemorrhage
- Pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale score of 3 or above
- Known, severe comorbidities, which will likely prevent improvement or follow-up (cancer, alcohol/drug abuse or dementia)
- Known clotting disease or suspicion of underlying disease which might lead to a hyper coagulant state
- In-hospital Stroke
- Known contraindications for anti-platelet therapy
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- Known (serious) sensitivity to radiographic contrast agents, nickel, titanium metals or their alloys
- Foreseeable difficulties in follow-up due to geographic reasons (e.g., patients living abroad)
- Evidence of an ongoing pregnancy prior to randomization
- Radiological confirmed evidence of mass effect or intracranial tumour (except small meningioma)
- Radiological confirmed evidence of cerebral vasculitis
- Evidence of vessel recanalization prior to randomisation
- Participation in another interventional trial which could confound the primary endpoint
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Switzerland1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Hospital Basel, Department of Interventional and Diagnostical Neuroradiology
Basel, Canton of Basel-City, 4031
Alex Brehm, PhD, +41 76 233 74 90, alex.brehm@usb.ch
Marios-Nikos Psychogios, Prof Dr.
About this study
Official title: IntraCranial Atherosclerosis Related Large-vessel Occlusion Treated With Urgent Stenting - a Pragmatic, International, Multicentre, Randomized Trial
The goal of this international, multi-center, randomized clinical trial is to compare two treatment options, early intracranial stenting and continued stent-retriever or aspiration based endovascular treatment, for stroke patients with a large vessel occlusion, who experienced failure of recanalisation after initial treatment due to intracranial atherosclerosis.
Read the detailed description
This clinical tiral focuses on comparing treatment options for patients with an acute ischemic stroke, which is a significant cause of death and disability worldwide. Currently, endovascular treatment (EVT) is the gold standard for the removal of large blood clots in the brain arteries (large vessel occlusion, LVO), but sometimes it fails to reopen blocked blood vessels, especially when caused by an underlying intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAD). When restoring blood flow fails, patients' outcomes are much worse, with more than 70% experiencing severe disability or death.
One potential solution for these cases is intracranial stenting, where a stent is permanently implanted in the affected blood vessel to restore blood flow to the brain. This approach has shown promise in other conditions like myocardial infarction. However, there is an ongoing debate whether the benefits are offset by possibly higher bleeding risk, and current guidelines don't provide clear recommendations on the use of intracranial stenting.
Therefore, this study aims to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of early intracranial stenting versus continued conventional EVT (stent-retriever or aspiration based) in LVO stroke patients who haven't responded to conventional EVT due to ICAD.
The results of this clinical trial will offer high quality clinical evidence to determine whether intracranial stenting provides benefits over conventional EVT for LVO stroke patients experiencing recanalisation failure due to ICAD.
- Conditions
- Stroke, Stroke, Acute Ischemic, Intracranial Atherosclerosis
- Being tested
- Intracranial stenting, Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT)
- Keywords
- Endovascular Treatment, Intracranial Stenting
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke, Ischemic Stroke, Intracranial Arteriosclerosis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Intracranial stentingProcedure or surgery
Intracranial stenting (+/- balloon dilatation) will be performed. Decisions regarding intracranial stenting are solely made by the treating physician. This means in specific, that the treating physician decides based on his/her judgement or based on local standards (as reported in the literature) on the devices and/or concomitant medications (including infusion/administration of antiplatelet medicine) used for intracranial stenting.
Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT)Procedure or surgery
Patients undergo either (a) continued stent retriever or contact aspiration based endovascular treatment manoeuvres, (b) infusion/administration of antiplatelet medication or (c) stop of the procedure depending on local standard treatment approaches.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Experimental | In patients within the intervention group, the treating physician attempts to perform intracranial stenting (with or without balloon dilation). Receives: Procedure: Intracranial stenting |
| Control group | Active comparator | In patients within the control group, the treating physician does not perform intracranial stenting and/or balloon dilation. Conventional endovascular therapy will be continued. Receives: Procedure: Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Assessment whether intracranial stenting compared to conventional endovascular treatment is beneficial regarding patient's functional status
To evaluate whether intracranial stenting compared to conventional endovascular treatment is beneficial, the degree of disability and dependency in everyday life is measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), which is a standard tool to assess the neurological outcome in trials with acute severe brain disease. The mRS ranges from 0 (no disability) to 6 (death). Lower values indicate less disability.
The assessment of mRS is performed by an independent and blinded person that is certified for scoring the mRS.
Measured: 90 days post randomization
Secondary outcomes (10)
Change in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score
To compare the impact of the two treatment options on the neurological deficit of the patient, the change in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score between baseline and post randomization is evaluated. The NIHSS is a standard tool to assess the severity of stroke symptoms.
The NIHSS ranges from 0 to 42 with less values indicating less neurological deficit.
Measured: Baseline, 24 hours, 5-7 days and, optionally, 90 days post randomization
Assessment of the discharge location
The discharge location is assessed at the follow-up visit 90 days after randomization. Discharge location could either be: (a) other hospital, (b) rehabilitation facility, (c) nursing home, (d) residential home or (e) own household.
Measured: 90 days post randomization
Assessment of the cognitive function
To assess the cognitive function, the validated Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is used at the follow-up visit 90 days after randomization. If the patient cannot perform the test or is deceased, his/her score is rated as minimal.
Scores range from 0 to 30 with higher scores indicating better cognitive function. A score of 26 or above indicates normal cognitive function.
Measured: 90 days post randomization
Assessment of the quality of life
To assess the quality of life, the standardized questionnaire, EuroQol-5d, is used at 90 and 365 days after randomization. At 365 days the assessment is conduct as a telephone interview.
Measured: 90 and 365 days post randomization
Assessment of disability and dependency in everyday live activities
To assess the functional outcome, the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is measured after 365 days via a telephone interview. The mRS ranges from 0 (no disability) to 6 (death). Lower values indicate less disability.
Measured: 365 days post randomization
Assessment of the residential status
To assess the patient's residential status, a telephone interview with the patient or if not available his next of kin/caregiver is performed 365 days after the randomization.
Measured: 365 days post randomization
Symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH)
The incidence of Symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) is assessed based on the modified Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke-Monitoring Study (SITS-MOST) criteria. The SITS-MOST criteria define sICH as a parenchymal hematoma grade 1 or 2, indicated by an increase of at least 4 points on the National institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (compared to the lowest recorded NIHSS post randomization). sICH is the main safety outcome in most stroke trials.
Measured: 0-24 hours post randomization
Percentage of penumbral tissue saved (imaging based outcome parameter)
Percentage of penumbral tissue saved, which is defined as the proportion of tissue at risk at baseline that did not progress to infarction at 24 hours after randomization.
Measured: 0 - 24 hours post randomization
Grading of reperfusion at the end of the intervention (imaging based outcome parameter)
The modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) score will be used to grade the reperfusion success at the end of the procedure. mTICI ranges from 0 (no reperfusion) to 3 (full reperfusion)
Measured: 0 - 60 minutes post randomization
Grading of recanalization at 24 hours after the randomization (imaging based outcome parameter)
The arterial occlusion lesion scale will be used to grade the vessel status at 24 hours after randomization on a CT-angiography or MR-angiography (if done according to local standards of care). It ranges from 0 to 3 with 0 indicating no recanalization and 3 complete recanalization.
Measured: 24 hours post randomization
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Jun 2024
- Study start31 Mar 2025
- Primary completionAug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StrokeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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 N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 498 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Swiss National Science Foundation, Acandis GmbH, Phenox GmbH
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Marios-Nikos Psychogios, Prof. Dr., Principal investigator, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06472336
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2024-01016; th22Psychogios4
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 10 Jun 2024
- Last updated
- 17 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- IntraCranial Atherosclerosis Related Large-vessel Occlusion Treated With Urgent Stenting - a Pragmatic, International, Multicentre, Randomized Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06472336
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2024-01016; th22Psychogios4
- Conditions
- Stroke, Stroke, Acute Ischemic, Intracranial Atherosclerosis
- Keywords
- Endovascular Treatment, Intracranial Stenting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 498 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Swiss National Science Foundation, Acandis GmbH, Phenox GmbH
- Study start
- 31 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 25 Jun 2024 (actual)
- 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 goal of this international, multi-center, randomized clinical trial is to compare two treatment options, early intracranial stenting and continued stent-retriever or aspiration based endovascular treatment, for stroke patients with a large vessel occlusion, who experienced failure of recanalisation after initial treatment due to intracranial atherosclerosis.
Detailed description
This clinical tiral focuses on comparing treatment options for patients with an acute ischemic stroke, which is a significant cause of death and disability worldwide. Currently, endovascular treatment (EVT) is the gold standard for the removal of large blood clots in the brain arteries (large vessel occlusion, LVO), but sometimes it fails to reopen blocked blood vessels, especially when caused by an underlying intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAD). When restoring blood flow fails, patients' outcomes are much worse, with more than 70% experiencing severe disability or death.
One potential solution for these cases is intracranial stenting, where a stent is permanently implanted in the affected blood vessel to restore blood flow to the brain. This approach has shown promise in other conditions like myocardial infarction. However, there is an ongoing debate whether the benefits are offset by possibly higher bleeding risk, and current guidelines don't provide clear recommendations on the use of intracranial stenting.
Therefore, this study aims to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of early intracranial stenting versus continued conventional EVT (stent-retriever or aspiration based) in LVO stroke patients who haven't responded to conventional EVT due to ICAD.
The results of this clinical trial will offer high quality clinical evidence to determine whether intracranial stenting provides benefits over conventional EVT for LVO stroke patients experiencing recanalisation failure due to ICAD.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Experimental | Procedure: Intracranial stentingIn patients within the intervention group, the treating physician attempts to perform intracranial stenting (with or without balloon dilation). |
| Control group | Active comparator | Procedure: Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT)In patients within the control group, the treating physician does not perform intracranial stenting and/or balloon dilation. Conventional endovascular therapy will be continued. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- A relevant clinical deficit defined as a National Institute of Health Stoke Scale (NIHSS) Score of ≥ 6 points for anterior circulation stroke and a NIHSS Score of ≥ 10 for posterior circulation stroke
- Anticipated randomization within 24 hours of last seen well (LSW)
- Occlusion of the Internal Carotid Artery, the M1 segment, the proximal/dominant M2 segment of the Middle Cerebral Artery, the Basilar Artery or the V4 segment of the Vertebral Artery
- Absence of recanalization (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction score of 0 or 1) after up to three endovascular treatment passes
- High probability of underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease based on the assessment of the treating physician
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Acute intracranial haemorrhage
- Pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale score of 3 or above
- Known, severe comorbidities, which will likely prevent improvement or follow-up (cancer, alcohol/drug abuse or dementia)
- Known clotting disease or suspicion of underlying disease which might lead to a hyper coagulant state
- In-hospital Stroke
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Intracranial stentingIntracranial stenting (+/- balloon dilatation) will be performed. Decisions regarding intracranial stenting are solely made by the treating physician. This means in specific, that the treating physician decides based on his/her judgement or based on local standards (as reported in the literature) on the devices and/or concomitant medications (including infusion/administration of antiplatelet medicine) used for intracranial stenting. | Procedure or surgery | Intervention group |
| Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT)Patients undergo either (a) continued stent retriever or contact aspiration based endovascular treatment manoeuvres, (b) infusion/administration of antiplatelet medication or (c) stop of the procedure depending on local standard treatment approaches. | Procedure or surgery | Control group |
Primary outcome
Assessment whether intracranial stenting compared to conventional endovascular treatment is beneficial regarding patient's functional status
Time frame: 90 days post randomization
To evaluate whether intracranial stenting compared to conventional endovascular treatment is beneficial, the degree of disability and dependency in everyday life is measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), which is a standard tool to assess the neurological outcome in trials with acute severe brain disease. The mRS ranges from 0 (no disability) to 6 (death). Lower values indicate less disability. The assessment of mRS is performed by an independent and blinded person that is certified for scoring the mRS.
10 secondary outcomes
Change in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score
Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours, 5-7 days and, optionally, 90 days post randomization
Assessment of the discharge location
Time frame: 90 days post randomization
Assessment of the cognitive function
Time frame: 90 days post randomization
Assessment of the quality of life
Time frame: 90 and 365 days post randomization
Assessment of disability and dependency in everyday live activities
Time frame: 365 days post randomization
Assessment of the residential status
Time frame: 365 days post randomization
Symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH)
Time frame: 0-24 hours post randomization
Percentage of penumbral tissue saved (imaging based outcome parameter)
Time frame: 0 - 24 hours post randomization
Grading of reperfusion at the end of the intervention (imaging based outcome parameter)
Time frame: 0 - 60 minutes post randomization
Grading of recanalization at 24 hours after the randomization (imaging based outcome parameter)
Time frame: 24 hours post randomization
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Dec 2025.
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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.
Marios-Nikos Psychogios, Prof. Dr. principal investigator
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Intracranial stenting and Continuation of conventional endovascular therapy (EVT) in people with Stroke and Stroke, Acute Ischemic, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
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 13 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. 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. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Alex Brehm, PhD (+41 76 233 74 90, alex.brehm@usb.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Assessment whether intracranial stenting compared to conventional endovascular treatment is beneficial regarding patient's functional status (time frame: 90 days post randomization). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 17 Dec 2025.