Multi-arm Optimization of Stroke Thrombolysis

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Acute ischemic stroke patients

2. Treated with 0.9mg/kg IV rt-PA or 0.25mg/kg IV TNK within 3 hours of stroke onset ortime last known well

3. Age ≥ 18

4. NIHSS score ≥ 6 prior to IV thrombolysis

5. Able to receive assigned study drug within 60 minutes but no later than 75 minutesof initiation of IV thrombolysis

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Known allergy or hypersensitivity to argatroban or eptifibatide

2. Previous stroke in the past 90 days

3. Previous intracranial hemorrhage, neoplasm, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or arterialvenous malformation

4. Clinical presentation suggested a subarachnoid hemorrhage, even if initial CT scanwas normal

5. Any surgery, or biopsy of parenchymal organ in the past 30 days

6. Trauma with internal injuries or ulcerative wounds in the past 30 days

7. Severe head trauma in the past 90 days

8. Systolic blood pressure persistently >180mmHg post-IV thrombolysis despiteantihypertensive intervention

9. Diastolic blood pressure persistently >105mmHg post-IV thrombolysis despiteantihypertensive intervention

10. Serious systemic hemorrhage in the past 30 days

11. Known hereditary or acquired hemorrhagic diathesis, coagulation factor deficiency,or oral anticoagulant therapy with INR >1.5

12. Positive urine or serum pregnancy test for women of child bearing potential

13. Glucose <50 or >400 mg/dl

14. Platelets <100,000/mm3

15. Hematocrit <25 %

16. Elevated pre-thrombolysis PTT above laboratory upper limit of normal

17. Creatinine > 4 mg/dl

18. Ongoing renal dialysis, regardless of creatinine

19. Received Low Molecular Weight heparins (such as Dalteparin, Enoxaparin, Tinzaparin)in full dose within the previous 24 hours

20. Abnormal PTT within 48 hours prior to randomization after receiving heparin or adirect thrombin inhibitor (such as bivalirudin, argatroban, dabigatran or lepirudin)

21. Received Factor Xa inhibitors (such as Fondaparinaux, apixaban or rivaroxaban)within the past 48 hours

22. Received glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors within the past 14 days

23. Pre-existing neurological or psychiatric disease which confounded the neurologicalor functional evaluations e.g., baseline modified Rankin score >3

24. Other serious, advanced, or terminal illness or any other condition that theinvestigator felt would pose a significant hazard to the patient if rt-PA, TNK,eptifibatide or argatroban therapy was initiated a. Example: known cirrhosis or clinically significant hepatic disease

25. Current participation in another research drug treatment or interventional devicetrial - Subjects could not start another experimental agent until after 90 days

26. Informed consent from the patient or the legally authorized representative was notor could not be obtained

27. High density lesion consistent with hemorrhage of any degree

28. Large (more than 1/3 of the middle cerebral artery) regions of clear hypodensity onthe baseline CT Scan. Sulcal effacement and/or loss of grey-white differentiationalone are not contraindications for treatment