13 July 2026

DISTAL Study: Catheter therapy is not indicated for distal cerebral vascular occlusion

The 12-month results publishedin The Lancet Neurology provide important long-term evidence regarding the treatment of strokes caused by occlusions of medium-sized or distal cerebral vessels. The publication received two honors from professional societies.

The randomized study, involving more than 540 patients at 55 centers, investigated whether endovascular therapy—in which a catheter is guided through the bloodstream to the site of the occlusion and the blood clot is removed— in combination with standard medical therapy is more effective than standard medical therapy alone.

Catheter therapy offers no advantage over standard therapy

The results show that 12 months after the onset of the stroke—the predefined primary endpoint—there was no difference in the degree of disability or mortality between the two treatment groups. Thus, the additional endovascular therapy offers no added benefit over drug therapy alone.

Initial results (endpoint: 90 days after the onset of the stroke) were published last year. These results have now been confirmed in the 12-month follow-up. At the same time, the data underscore the continued high burden of disease among these patients and thus the need to explore new treatment approaches that improve functional outcomes and quality of life.

The academic community recognizes the study’s significance

The relevance of the findings has been recognized by two professional societies. First, the publication was selected as the “Paper of the Month” by the European Stroke Organization (ESO). Second, the European Academy of Neurology honored the paper as “Research Highlights of the Month – June 2026.”

"At the same time, the clinical results show that we must not let up now: We must continue to develop and test new approaches to sustainably improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for future patients.”

Prof. Dr. med. Urs Fischer