Bibliometric analysis of the usage of tenecteplase for stroke

Introduction: In recent years, tenecteplase has been competing with alteplase as a treatment for acute ischemic stroke given its ease of administration, lower dosage, cost-effectiveness, and better safety data. This paper seeks to analyze academic literature regarding the burgeoning usage of tenecteplase as a treatment for acute ischemic stroke across the world.

Method: The Web of Science database was used to collect the data from articles containing the keywords "Tenecteplase" and "Stroke" published from 1999 to 2023. The search resulted in 576 journal articles. This study analyzed metadata related to the country, institution, keywords, and date published for each article in the database pertaining to tenecteplase use for stroke.

Results: The United States led in publications (260, 39.93%), followed by Australia (101, 15.51%), and a tie for third place between Canada and China (77, 11.83% each). The three most prevalent keywords were tenecteplase (N = 324), alteplase (N = 284), and thrombolysis (N = 244). The University of Melbourne and the University of Calgary were the leading institutions publishing on the use of tenecteplase as a treatment for stroke. In 2023, the number of publications on the usage of tenecteplase for stroke was the greatest, making up 24.3% of all papers on the topic.

Conclusion: The surge in academic papers regarding tenecteplase in stroke in 2023 could be a good indicator of the drug's increasing prevalence as a treatment for stroke. Despite this finding, tenecteplase is currently not an FDA-approved therapy in the US as Genentech, the drug's manufacturer, has yet to file for federal approval for acute ischemic stroke treatment.