Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind, Pilot Trial to Investigate Safety and Efficacy of Cerebrolysin in Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background There are limited treatment options for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-induced delayed cerebral ischemia, a major determinant of mortality and morbidity. Cerebrolysin, a brain-specific pleiotropic neuroprotective agent, has been suggested to improve functional outcomes in ischemic stroke. We investigated the efficacy, safety and feasibility of Cerebrolysin for conferring such benefits in SAH patients. Methods This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center, parallel-group pilot study. 50 patients received either daily Cerebrolysin (30ml/day) or a placebo (saline) for 14 days (25 patients per study group). The primary endpoint was a favorable Extended Glasgow Outcome Score (GOSE) of 5 to 8 (moderate disability to good recovery) at six-months. Secondary endpoints included the occurrence of adverse effects, six-month mortality, the occurrence of cerebral vasospasm, delayed cerebral ischemia and infarction. Results No severe adverse effects or mortality attributable to Cerebrolysin were observed. No significant difference was detected in the proportion of patients with favorable six-month GOSE in either study group (odds ratio (OR): 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43-5.17). Secondary functional outcome measures for good six-month recovery indicated by a modified Rankin Scale of 0 to 2 (OR: 0.53; 95% CI 0.43-5.17) and a Barthel Index of 70 or more (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29-12.72) were also similar for both groups. There was a significantly lower risk of three- and six-month mortality for patients that received Cerebrolysin (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.33-0.63). There were no deaths in the Cerebrolysin group, but the morality rate for the control group was 16% (4/25). The commonest cause of death was due to delayed cerebral ischemia. There were no differences in the overall incidence of delayed cerebral ischemia (p-value: 0.78), cerebral vasospasm (p-value: 0.16) and infarction (p-value: 0.77) between the two groups. Conclusions Use of Cerebrolysin in addition to standard-of-care management of aneurysmal SAH is safe, well tolerated and feasible. Results suggest a benefit in reducing three- and six-month mortality. Due to the exploratory nature of this study and its small sample size, these findings should be confirmed in a larger-scale clinical trial.