Efficacy and Safety of Cerebrolysin as an Adjunct to Mechanical Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

backgroundOne of the primary causes of morbidity and death is still acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Although mechanical thrombectomy (MT) yields better results, problems such as partial functional recovery persist. By lessening secondary damage and encouraging recovery, the neuroprotective drug, cerebrolysin, may improve the effectiveness of MT. Its safety and efficacy as an adjunct to MT are assessed in this study.

methodsPubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched using relevant keywords from inception until June 2025. A total of three studies were included after final screening. Outcomes were reported as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, adverse effects, mortality, etc. Interstudy heterogeneity was assessed using I

resultsBy combining data from three studies, this meta-analysis assessed the safety and effectiveness of cerebrolysin as a supplement to mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in acute stroke. This meta-analysis pooled data from three observational studies involving a total of 294 patients; 148 were treated with Cerebrolysin in combination with mechanical thrombectomy (Cerebrolysin + MT group), and 146 were treated with mechanical thrombectomy alone (MT group).With a very slight heterogeneity (I

conclusionCerebrolysin shows promise as a useful neuroprotective treatment in stroke care by dramatically improving functional recovery, reducing symptomatic intracranial bleeding, and lowering mortality in acute ischemic stroke patients when used in conjunction with mechanical thrombectomy. Nonetheless, these conclusions are derived from only three observational studies with small sample sizes, which limits the robustness and generalizability of the findings. Further large-scale randomized trials are warranted to confirm these effects.