Tenecteplase or Reteplase as Bridging Thrombolysis Before Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Cerebrovascular Events

Acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO) is a major cause of disability, and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has become the standard treatment for eligible patients. However, the optimal role of intravenous thrombolysis before MT remains uncertain.

The TRACE-BRIDGE trial is a phase 3, investigator-initiated, multicenter, randomized, open-label trial with blinded outcome assessment (PROBE design) evaluating different bridging thrombolysis strategies before MT. The trial will enroll adults with acute ischemic stroke presenting within 4.5 hours of symptom onset and with imaging-confirmed anterior circulation LVO who are eligible for intravenous thrombolysis and MT.

Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive tenecteplase plus MT, reteplase plus MT, or direct MT alone. The TRACE-BRIDGE trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bridging thrombolysis with tenecteplase or reteplase before mechanical thrombectomy compared with direct mechanical thrombectomy. The primary outcome is functional independence, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2 at 90 days after randomization. If superiority of bridging thrombolysis is demonstrated, the trial will further evaluate whether reteplase is non-inferior to tenecteplase as a bridging thrombolytic strategy.