WORLD - A new experimental drug may help prevent repeat strokes without increasing the risk of dangerous bleeding, according to research unveiled this week at a major international stroke conference.

The medication, called asundexian, was tested in a large global study of more than 12,300 people who had recently suffered a mild or moderate stroke caused by a blood clot, or a high-risk “mini-stroke,” known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA).

The findings were presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, held Feb. 4–6 in New Orleans.

Stroke specialists say the results could mark an important shift in how doctors prevent second strokes. Nearly one in four stroke survivors will experience another stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.

Currently, most patients are treated with medications like aspirin that reduce the blood’s ability to clot. Stronger combinations can lower stroke risk further, but they also raise the chance of serious bleeding, including bleeding in the brain. Because of this, long-term use of these treatments is limited.

Asundexian works in a different way. Instead of broadly thinning the blood, it blocks a specific protein involved in forming large, dangerous clots. Researchers say this targeted approach may explain why the drug reduced stroke risk without increasing bleeding.

In the study, participants received standard stroke-prevention medication along with either asundexian or a placebo. Patients were followed for up to nearly three years.

Those who took asundexian were 26% less likely to have another clot-related stroke. They were also less likely to experience a disabling stroke, and rates of serious bleeding were similar in both groups.

The drug is still under investigation and has not yet been approved for use. U.S. regulators have granted it fast-track status to speed further review.