Ebselen in Acute Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ebselen was conducted in patients with complete occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Ebselen or placebo granules suspended in water (150 mg b.i.d.) were orally administered within 12 h of onset and continued for 2 weeks. The major end points were the maximum volume of cerebral infarct measured on follow-up computed tomography and the Glasgow Outcome Scale score at 1 month. One hundred and five patients were enrolled in this trial. Although the intent-to-treat analysis of 99 patients (43 given ebselen and 56 given placebo) did not reach statistical significance in reduction of the infarct volume (p = 0.099), the protocol-compatible analysis of 83 patients with complete occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (34 given ebselen and 49 given placebo) determined a significant reduction using ebselen treatment (p = 0.034). A good outcome was seen in approximately 15% more patients from the ebselen group, but the difference between the 2 groups was not significant (p = 0.129). There was a corresponding significant reduction in the volume of cerebral infarct and an improvement in the outcome of patients who started treatment within 6 h of onset. These findings may suggest that ebselen protected the brain from ischemic damage in the acute stage.