Cilostazol to prevent repeat strokes in Africa
Official title: CiLostAzol for pReventIon of recurrent sTroke in Africa (CLARITY-Africa)
Funded at Northern California Institute/res/edu · NIH-11406605 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will give stroke survivors in sub‑Saharan Africa cilostazol alongside usual care to see if it lowers their chance of another stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northern California Institute/res/edu NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $420,571 |
| NIH project number | 3R01NS139346-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406605 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have survived an ischemic stroke, are receiving care at participating sites in sub‑Saharan Africa, and are medically eligible to take cilostazol alongside standard antiplatelet therapy.
✕Less likely to help
People with recent brain bleeding, significant heart failure or other contraindications to cilostazol, or those who live outside the participating study sites are unlikely to benefit from joining this trial.
What this research studies
If you survived a stroke and live in sub‑Saharan Africa, researchers will add cilostazol (a twice‑daily pill) to standard antiplatelet treatment such as aspirin or clopidogrel. The trial will enroll people at participating sites across Africa and actively follow them to record repeat strokes, heart events, bleeding, and side effects. Doctors and study staff will monitor safety and collect health outcomes over months to years to learn whether cilostazol reduces recurrent stroke and improves survival. The project also aims to strengthen local stroke research capacity in the region.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, cilostazol could substantially reduce repeat strokes and major heart events in stroke survivors in sub‑Saharan Africa using a relatively low‑cost medicine.
How similar studies have gone: Previous trials, mainly in Asian populations, showed cilostazol reduced major cardiovascular events including recurrent stroke without increasing major bleeding, but it has not been well studied in African populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Northern California Institute/res/edu
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ovbiagele, Bruce — Northern California Institute/res/edu
- Study coordinator: Ovbiagele, Bruce
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.