PESTO Trial

The PESTO trial is no longer taking participants. 

The trial was a prospective multicentre trial to determine whether the drug etanercept, which is commonly used to treat other illnesses, is effective in helping relieve some symptoms of stroke.

As part of the trial, participants underwent baseline assessments and received an injection of etanercept or a placebo, with follow-up assessments.

At a recent European Stroke Organisation conference in Basel in May 2024, we talked about the findings from our study. Of the 136 trial participants, half of the received a medicine called etanercept, and the other half received a saline injection (which had no active medicine).

After 28 days, we asked everyone how they felt and checked their safety, fatigue levels, pain, neurological status, and cognitive abilities. About half of the people who took etanercept felt better. Interestingly, about half of the people who got the saline injection also felt better. This means that etanercept did not show a clear advantage over the saline injection. Both groups saw similar improvements in pain, fatigue, mood, neurological function, and cognition. The procedure was safe, with very few participants reporting serious side effects.

Although we hoped etanercept would offer more relief for stroke survivors, the results are still important. They help us understand better ways to support stroke survivors and their caregivers.

We sincerely appreciate your interest in this trial. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].