Trial investigating drug to treat traumatic brain injury closes
SRMRC-supported trial – NOSTRA III – has now closed after recruiting a final patient on December 31st, bringing the total number recruited to 223. The NIHR SRMRC research team, led by PI Professor Tony Belli, was the 6th largest recruiter for the trial (12 patients) which had investigators across Europe in Austria, France, Spain, Germany and the UK.
The NOSTRA III trial is investigating whether a drug: VAS203, developed by Vasopharm, can affect clinical outcomes at 6 months in patients suffering from moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in comparison with a placebo. TBI is the leading cause of death and disability among young adults in developed countries. Neurological damage after TBI is caused not only by the impact itself, but can get worse afterwards (secondary injury). Secondary injury can include raised pressure in the head which is harmful to the brain and this is a major cause of death after TBI.
Nitric Oxide (NO) is one of the key factors that regulate blood vessel dilation and is it involved in many inflammatory processes. It has also been shown to be an important player in the development of secondary brain injury. The VAS203 drug works against NO to stop excess pressure developing in the head therefore, hopefully reducing brain damage in people who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. It is hoped that by having this new drug, people with moderate to severe TBI will have better outcomes.
Professor Belli added “We are extremely proud to be one of the largest recruiters in Europe in yet another large trial. The team have worked very hard for this achievement. We hope that this treatment will significantly improve outcomes for patients with Traumatic Brain Injury and we are excited to hear the results!”
Our team are celebrating yet another major achievement, after being one of the largest recruiters for the CRASH-3 trial in 2019. Well done, guys!
