CHI Memorial is proud to announce it is the first hospital in the world to enroll a patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating a promising new treatment for ischemic stroke. This groundbreaking trial offers new hope for stroke patients in the Chattanooga community and around the world.
The trial is focused on Sovateltide, a potential first-in-class medication that aims to improve outcomes for patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke. An ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, occurs when a blood vessel supplying the brain is blocked, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients.
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability throughout the US and worldwide.
The goal of the trial is to determine if Sovateltide can help patients regain functional independence after a stroke. Functional independence is defined as the ability to perform daily activities without assistance.
"There hasn't been a new FDA approved non-thrombolytic therapy for stroke in more than 30 years. Current treatment options remain limited, underscoring the critical need for novel therapies. Given the promising results already demonstrated with Sovateltide, this rigorous Phase 3 study represents an important step toward addressing this urgent unmet medical need," said Thomas Devlin, MD, PhD, FSVIN, medical director at CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute and international principal investigator of the Phase 3 trial.
Dr. Devlin is leading the trial at CHI Memorial, bringing cutting-edge research and potential new therapies directly to patients in the Chattanooga area. As medical director of the CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute, Dr. Devlin is committed to providing the highest level of care for patients with neurological conditions.
"We are thrilled to participate in this important clinical trial," said Dr. Devlin. "The fact that the first patient enrolled world-wide in this trial is from CHI Memorial demonstrates our commitment to providing our community with access to the latest advancements in stroke care. CHI Memorial is proud to be at the forefront of stroke research and care, offering hope and improved outcomes for patients in our community.”
The Phase 3 trial, known as RESPECT-ETB, will enroll more than 500 patients across multiple sites in the U.S., Germany, Spain, and the UK.
CHI Memorial is a DNV certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, reflecting the highest level of competence for treatment of serious stroke events. The health system is part of CommonSpirit, the second largest health care system in the U.S. Dr Devlin also directs the CommonSpirit National Neuroscience Collaborative. “We are very excited to leverage our national Collaborative to simultaneously launch multiple CommonSpirit hospitals across the U.S. in the Pharmazz trial. This partnership between Pharmazz and our national Collaborative will serve as a powerful accelerator to get the next breakthrough stroke treatment approved by the FDA to save countless lives.”