Alabama NewsCenter — UAB joins NIH study to slow bleeding in the brain

By Bob Shepard
UAB

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are part of an international study investigating a drug that could potentially stop or slow bleeding in the brain, also known as an intracerebral hemorrhage. Caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, intracerebral hemorrhage is the second leading cause of stroke and responsible for up to 30% of all strokes.

The study, dubbed the FASTEST study, will be conducted at more than 100 hospitals in the United States and abroad. FASTEST stands for rFVIIa for Acute hemorrhagic Stroke Administered at Earliest Time. Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, it will examine a protein called recombinant factor VIIa, or rFVIIa, which the body makes to help stop bleeding at the site of an injury to a blood vessel. rFVIIa is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for patients who have an inherited lack of clotting factors.

“There is reason to suspect that administering rFVIIa will be effective in slowing or stopping a brain bleed, as we know that it has clotting properties,” said Dr. Elizabeth Liptrap, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Neurosurgery in the Heersink School of Medicine. “And the need is great. Brain injury from intracerebral hemorrhage is usually very severe, with high mortality. Only about 20% of patients are able to independently care for themselves six months after injury.”

The AlabamaWx Weather Blog gladly brings you an excerpt of this article through a partnership with the Alabama NewsCenter. You can see the complete post featuring all the associated images, videos, and links by clicking HERE.

Category: ALL POSTS, Partner News Stories