# UCSF launches clinical trial of cilostazol to prevent recurrent stroke

- Published: 2026-11-07 11:17 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: ischemic stroke prevention, cilostazol clinical trial, secondary stroke, UCSF research, NINDS study
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-4950606a3cc78f0673eb7c56_ucsf_launches_clinical/

**Researchers are launching a multicenter trial involving over 2,000 patients to test whether cilostazol reduces secondary ischemic stroke risk.**

![UCSF launches clinical trial of cilostazol to prevent recurrent stroke](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/9694b627abbeb630.jpg)
*Goleisureintl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) are launching a clinical trial to evaluate whether the drug cilostazol can prevent recurrent strokes in high-risk patients, Nauka w Polsce reported. Stroke ranks as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, with ischemic strokes accounting for roughly 87% of all events [1]. Secondary strokes carry twice the mortality risk and triple the risk of long-term disability compared to the primary incident [1].

Cilostazol is currently approved for treating leg cramping and numbness associated with peripheral artery disease. Earlier studies conducted in Japan, China, and other East Asian countries showed its potential utility in secondary stroke prevention. In a 2019 Japanese trial, standard antiplatelet therapy—such as aspirin or clopidogrel—was compared to standard treatment combined with cilostazol [1]. The Japanese study indicated that recurrent stroke occurred in 11.4% of patients on standard therapy over four years, compared to 4.7% in the cilostazol cohort, without a significant rise in major bleeding complications [1].

## Limitations of previous evidence

The previous Japanese research had design limitations, as it lacked a double-blind, placebo-controlled setup, which introduces potential systematic bias. Furthermore, two-thirds of the cohort were male and all participants were ethnically Japanese, leaving uncertainty about the drug's efficacy across demographically diverse populations.

## Multicenter study protocol

The newly launched trial, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), will recruit more than 2,000 patients across 100 centers via the NIH StrokeNet research network. Eligible participants must have had an ischemic stroke or a high-risk transient ischemic attack within the preceding six months [1]. Investigators plan to follow enrolled individuals for up to five years to determine whether cilostazol can lower recurrent stroke risk by 50% [1].

## Sources

1. [Nauka w Polsce](https://naukawpolsce.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C115779%2Clek-na-skurcze-nog-potencjalnie-moze-zapobiegac-drugiemu-udarowi.html)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-4950606a3cc78f0673eb7c56_ucsf_launches_clinical/