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Intravenous alteplase, the only approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke, must be administered within 4.5 hours after onset of symptoms. Since many patients do not present within this short time frame, a safe and efficacious drug that could be given later after symptom onset would be desirable. In the Desmoteplase in Acute Ischemic Stroke (DIAS) study, desmoteplase, a tissue plasminogen activator found in vampire bat saliva, was touted as a safe treatment with a high rate of reperfusion when administered 3 to 9 hours after the onset of acute ischemic stroke. In the DIAS-2 trial, an industry-funded, multinational, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, researchers evaluated the safety and efficacy of two different doses of I…