Edaravone dexborneol for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Edaravone dexborneol has been developed as a novel neuroprotective agent and showed a promising result in treatment of stroke. The current meta-analysis aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of the edaravone dexborneol in the treatment of stroke. Method We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of literature in four electronic databases. Binary outcomes were analyzed through the risks ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), while the continuous outcomes were analyzed through the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI. Also, we did a subgroup analysis to show more feasibility and safety dimensions. Results Five studies with a total of 2415 patients were included. There were 1119 patients in edaravone dexborneol group and 1216 patients in control group. The 90-mRS 0–1 (RR 1.17 [95% CI 1.09–1.25]; p < 0.0001) and 90-day mRS 0–2 (RR 1.12 [95% CI 1.07–1.18]; p < 0.0001) were statistically significant higher in intervention group compared with control group. There was no significant difference between intervention group and control group concerning 90-day mRS 0–3 (RR 1.03 [95% CI 0.99–1.06]; p = 0.07), 90-day mortality rate (RR 0.71 [95% CI 0.45–1.11]; p = 0.13), serious adverse events (RR 0.91 [95% CI 0.72–1.16]; p = 0.45), and NIHSS score ≤1 at days 14 (RR 0.96; p = 0.69), 30 (RR 1.08; p = 0.18), and 90 (RR 1.06; p = 0.15). No heterogeneity in treatment effect was seen in the analysis, and any potential discrepancies were addressed by sensitivity analysis. Conclusion Edaravone dexborneol can be a favorable treatment option for patients with stroke. However, more randomized controlled trials are required to confirm our findings.