This will be a randomized double blind placebo-controlled pilot study using a repeated measures design in which participants with acute ischemic stroke and intracranial atherosclerotic disease are randomized to either drug or placebo.
The purpose of this study will be a dataset that lays the foundation for a randomized controlled trial of PCSK9 inhibition in intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) patients, designed to show a reduction in the primary endpoint of ischemic stroke recurrence. Such a trial would provide evidence for the utility of alirocumab to prevent recurrent stroke in ICAD. While we are proposing future studies to reduce recurrent ICAD stroke risk, it should be noted that, in the long term, our research may lead to effective primary ICAD stroke risk reduction through PCSK9 inhibition in patients at high risk of stroke identified through asymptomatic stenosis, post-contrast plaque enhancement (PPE) or intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) on vwMRI.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
20
Alirocumab is approved by the FDA as a secondary treatment for high cholesterol for adults whose cholesterol can not be controlled by diet and/or statin treatment. Additionally, Alirocumab works to inhibit the PCSK9 protein.
Placebo to be administered subcutaneously every 2 weeks identical to active drug (alirocumab)
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Vessel Wall MRI
Our primary outcome measures will be to assess the Vessel Wall MRI on Day 365 and compare it to day 1.The primary endpoint is nominal change in the composite percent atheroma volume (PAV) of the stroke parent artery and additional intra- or extracranial cerebrovasculature arteries with atherosclerosis (≥ 25% stenosis) from baseline to week 52. We will use measure PAV on vessel wall MRI (vwMRI), which evaluates all arteries from the aortic arch to the distal intracranial vasculature in a single scan. The primary endpoint will be analyzed for both: 1) the composite PAV of the stroke parent artery and any additional intra- or extracranial arteries that have at least 25% stenosis, and 2) separately for the PAV of the stroke parent artery. The PAV measurements will be performed using the validated MRI-PlaqueView software. Stenosis of the stroke parent artery and all additional arteries included in the composite PAV will be measured using standard methodology and also be evaluated as
Time frame: Day 1 and Day 365
Post-Contrast Plaque Enhancement
Secondary endpoint 1 is post-contrast plaque enhancement for intracranial arteries and intraplaque hemorrhage for the carotid artery, which are determined by two experienced neuroradiologist raters. If there is disagreement, then a third rater serves as a tie-breaker. The signal intensity characteristics of both endpoints have been standardized in prior literature.
Time frame: Day 1
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