Cerebrolysin: a multi-target drug for recovery after stroke.

Cerebrolysin: a multi-target drug for recovery after stroke. Expert Rev Neurother. 2018 Jul 13;: Authors: Brainin M Abstract INTRODUCTION: Cerebrolysin is a neuropeptide preparation with neurotrophic factor-like effects and promotes recovery after brain injury. Its preclinical profile promises wide applications due to multi-target effects. Currently, Cerebrolysin is used for treatment of cerebral ischemia and neurodegeneration. Areas covered: In stroke, early clinical trials with Cerebrolysin were performed mostly in mildly affected stroke populations, which usually have a favourable prognosis. Due to this selection, a likely floor or ceiling effect of recovery measures in the mild cases may have prevented to show a clear benefit between treatment groups. However, subgroup analyses of more severely affected patients reveal a strikingly positive effect for enhanced recovery. Based on the findings from several studies it became evident that the effect size of Cerebrolysin was increasing with stroke severity. Other controlled studies showed that Cerebrolysin can be safely used in combination with thrombolysis. More recently, Cerebrolysin has been tested not only for neuroprotection but also for its neurorecovery potential and also showed efficacy in patients with moderate to severe strokes. Expert Commentary: Recent trials showed a beneficial effect for functional recovery when combined with neurorehabilitation versus neurorehabilitation alone. This gives l...
Source: Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics - Category: Neurology Tags: Expert Rev Neurother Source Type: research