Archief Roodbont

Footnotes

• The SITS steering committee members were A Davalos, M Grond, G Ford, W Hacke, M Hennerici, M Kaste, V Larrue, KR Lees, RO Roine, D Toni, and N Wahlgren . The VISTA steering committee members were A Alexandrov, PW Bath, E Bluhmki, L Claesson, J Curram, SM Davis, G Donnan, HC Diener, M Fisher, B Gregson, J Grotta, W Hacke, MG Hennerici, M Hommel, M Kaste, KR Lees (chair), P Lyden, J Marler, K Muir, R Sacco, A Shuaib, P Teal, NG Wahlgren, S Warach, and C Weimar. The data were presented by NKM at the European Stroke Conference, 2010. The analyses were based on a research proposal approved both by the VISTA steering committee and the SITS-ISTR.

• Contributors: NKM, NGW, and NA had access to the SITS-ISTR data. NKM and KRL had access to the VISTA data. NKM and KRL designed and interpreted the analyses and drafted the manuscript. NGW, NA, GA, JEH, PJL, and PAR contributed SITS-ISTR data, reviewed the outline proposal, commented on the manuscript, and approved the final version. All authors take full responsibility for the content. The manuscript was reviewed and approved by the steering committees of VISTA and SITS. No commercial organisation was involved in the origination, execution or reporting of this work. NKM is guarantor.

• Funding: VISTA has received financial support from the European Stroke Organisation in the form of an unrestricted grant and contributions towards data extraction and capacity building from the Universities of Glasgow, California San Diego, Nottingham, Edmonton, Calgary, Texas, and Massachusetts; from commercial groups including Brainsgate, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, and the Vertical Group; and from grant agencies and charities including the UK Stroke Association. SITS-ISTR is funded by an unrestricted grant from Boehringer Ingelheim, Ferrer, and a grant from European Union Public Health Executive Authority (PHEA). Financial support was also provided through the regional agreement on medical training and research (ALF) between Stockholm County Council and the Karolinska Institute. NKM is supported by a Scottish Overseas Research Studentship, a University of Glasgow scholarship, and an educational grant from the European Stroke Organisation for Young Neurologists. PJL is supported by the Finnish Academy and Sigrid Juselius foundation and Helsinki University Hospital research funds (EVO).

• Competing interests: All authors have completed the Unified Competing Interest form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf (available on request from the corresponding author) and declare: KRL has received honorariums from Boehringer Ingelheim, Lundbeck, Thrombogenics, Talecris. GA is a member of the advisory board for Boehringer Ingelheim, Denmark. JAE was investigator of ECASS II, ECASS III, and PROFESS promoted by Boehringer Ingelheim. NA is an employee of SITS International, which received a grant from Boehringer Ingelheim for the SITS-MOST/SITS-ISTR study with alteplase. NGW has received expenses from Boehringer Ingelheim for his role as member of the steering committee in relation to the ECASS III trial with alteplase and served as a consultant to Thrombogenics as chairman of the DSMB. SITS International (chaired by NGW) received a grant from Boehringer Ingelheim and from Ferrer for the SITS-MOST/SITS-ISTR. His institution has also received grant support towards administrative expenses for coordination of the ECASS III trial. NGW has also received lecture fees from Boehringer Ingelheim and from Ferrer. PAR is the German deputy national SITS coordinator. He was investigator of ECASS III and PROFESS sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and of DIAS and DIAS-2 sponsored by PAION. He received honorariums and travel expenses from Boehringer Ingelheim, PAION, and Ferrer.

• Ethical approval: Not required.

• Data sharing: Data sharing: no additional data available.