The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on the use of the ‘clot-busting’ drug alteplase for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke. NICE has recommended alteplase within the NHS as long as it is used in accordance with the safety rules already set out in the drug’s licence.
NICE guidance on ‘clot-busters’
Andrea Sutcliffe, deputy chief executive, said: "We know that strokes are one of the biggest killers and causes of disability. It is important that patients receive treatments that can help to reduce the effects of a stroke as quickly as possible. This guidance recommending the use of alteplase has the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment of hundreds of thousands of patients.”
