New stroke drug shows reduced risk without added bleeding

April 20, 2026 / 10:41 AM

Sharjah24 - WAM: A large international study has found that asundexian, an investigational anti-clotting medication, reduces the risk of stroke in people who recently experienced a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) caused by a clot outside the heart (non-cardioembolic stroke), without increasing major bleeding.

The study involved 12,327 adults from 37 countries, all enrolled within 72 hours of a stroke or TIA.

Study published in leading medical journal

Findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine and assessed the safety and effectiveness of asundexian in preventing recurrent strokes.

Current prevention relies mainly on antiplatelet medications, which provide only moderate protection and can raise bleeding risk when used in combination or long term.

How asundexian works

Asundexian targets Factor XIa, a protein involved in harmful clot formation but with a limited role in normal blood clotting. By blocking this factor, the drug aims to prevent dangerous clots while preserving the body’s natural ability to stop bleeding.

This approach represents a new strategy in stroke prevention, supported by results from the OCEANIC-STROKE study.

Asundexian is still under regulatory review and has not yet been approved for clinical use.