Safety and efficacy of uric acid in patients with acute stroke (URICO-ICTUS): a randomised, double-blind phase 2b/3 trial

Uric acid is an antioxidant with neuroprotective effects in experimental models of stroke. We assessed whether uric acid therapy would improve functional outcomes at 90 days in patients with acute ischaemic stroke.

URICO-ICTUS was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2b/3 trial that recruited patients with acute ischaemic stroke admitted to ten Spanish stroke centres. Patients were included if they were aged 18 years or older, had received alteplase within 4·5 h of symptom onset, and had an eligible National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (>6 and ≤25) and premorbid (assessed by anamnesis) modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score (≤2). Patients were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive uric acid 1000 mg or placebo (both infused intravenously in 90 min during the infusion of alteplase), stratified by centre and baseline stroke severity. Read More