CARE Aspirin Clinical Trial
Cavernoma Alliance UK is delighted to announce its involvement in a new UK wide study to test whether aspirin benefits people with brain cavernoma.
What is CARE-Aspirin?
Doctors and researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the University Hospital Southampton will lead a new £3.5M UK-wide clinical study called CARE-Aspirin. The study will look at whether aspirin benefits people with cavernoma.
The study will evaluate whether:
- aspirin prevents stroke due to cavernoma better than placebo – a pill that looks like aspirin but doesn’t contain medicine.
- aspirin changes the size or look of cavernoma.
Although only people with brain cavernoma can take part in this study, we hope the findings will help us learn more about cavernoma more broadly, so that everyone affected by cavernoma, whatever its type or location, can feel that their experiences matter and may benefit from progress in research.
How will the study work?
The study plans to recruit 392 adults from 27 hospitals across the UK who have previously experienced symptoms caused by cavernoma bleeding or stroke. One group will take a daily tablet containing 75 mg of aspirin. The other group will take a placebo – a tablet that looks like the aspirin tablet but contains no active medicine. Everyone will get standard care.
Participants will have an equal (50:50) chance of going into each group. This is called a triple-blind trial, because the participants, their doctors and the researchers will not know which treatment each person is receiving.
Researchers will follow these two groups until the end of the study. They will work out whether the risk of stroke is lower in one group.
About 174 participants will also have MRI brain scans before the study starts. They will have another MRI after one year. This will show if aspirin changes cavernomas.
“This clinical trial is the culmination of more than 25 years of research into brain cavernoma in Scotland. It’s a privilege to be leading such a great team that will be overseen by international experts. The rationale for aspirin is strong, so I hope that our partnership with Cavernoma Alliance UK will enable 392 people to take part.”
Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, CARE-Aspirin Chief Investigator, Professor of Clinical Neurology & Honorary Consultant Neurologist, University of Edinburgh
Why is this study needed?
In the UK, around 100 adults are newly diagnosed with a stroke from a cavernoma each year. There are two treatments for a cavernoma, brain surgery or focused radiation, but only 1 in 5 people with cavernoma has these treatments. A small pilot study of these treatments, called CARE, that CAUK was involved in, showed that many people would have preferred a medicine instead of radiation or surgery.
“The launch of CARE-Aspirin marks an important milestone for the cavernoma community in the UK and beyond. For years, people affected by cavernoma have had limited treatment options, making research into potential treatments particularly important. While we don’t yet know what the trial will show, we are incredibly proud to be working in partnership to support its design and delivery. In particular, we are committed to ensuring that the voices and experiences of those living with cavernoma are at the heart of the study.”
Victoria Wareham, Chief Executive Cavernoma Alliance UK
Why has aspirin been chosen?
Aspirin is a common medicine used to stop blood clots and might prevent some cavernoma bleeds. In the past, people with cavernoma were often advised to avoid drugs that prevent clotting, such as aspirin. However, some previous research has found that people with cavernoma who were already taking aspirin for other medical conditions had a lower risk of bleeding than those who were not taking drugs that prevent clotting.
These findings do not tell us for certain whether aspirin is safe and beneficial for people with cavernoma. CARE-Aspirin will investigate this in a randomised clinical trial. It will be the first large and reliable study to find out whether aspirin benefits people with brain cavernoma.
- Please don’t start taking aspirin for your cavernoma because of this research.
- If you already take aspirin prescribed by your medical team, don’t stop taking it without first speaking to them.
- If you have questions about whether aspirin is appropriate for you, please speak to your medical team.
When will the study take place?
CARE-Aspirin was first announced at Cavernoma Alliance UK’s Annual Conference on 3rd October 2026. It is officially being launched at the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons in London on 14th October 2026. The study aims to start recruitment in August 2027.
“On this 100th anniversary of the SBNS, the launch of CARE-Aspirin is another major landmark in the multidisciplinary collaboration between neurosurgeons, neurologists, methodologists, and – most importantly – patients.”
Professor Diederik Bulters, Professor of Neurosurgery University of Southampton and Consultant Vascular Neurosurgeon, University Hospital Southampton
Who is running the study?
CARE-Aspirin is led jointly by Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman of the University of Edinburgh and Professor Diederik Bulters of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Cavernoma Alliance UK. The Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit further strengthens this partnership by bringing expertise in trial design and conduct.
“Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit is delighted to support the design and delivery of the CARE-Aspirin trial. This collaborative research will address important questions in the treatment of cavernoma, providing valuable evidence to inform patients and clinical practice.”
Professor Christopher Weir, Personal Chair of Medical Statistics & Clinical Trials, University of Edinburgh
How are people with lived experience involved?
Finding a medicine to treat cavernoma was identified as one of the top 10 priorities for patients with cavernoma in the James Lind Alliance – Cavernoma priority setting partnership
Patients have helped to design CARE-Aspirin. This included someone who took part in a previous CARE study. Cavernoma Alliance UK were greatly involved.
We will be sharing the study with the community. We will also support patients to decide whether they want to take part.
A Patient Advisory Group, led by Cavernoma Alliance UK, reviews detailed parts of the study. The group is made up of people with different experiences of cavernoma. They provide advice and feedback to make sure the trial considers the needs, experiences and priorities of patients and families.
Cavernoma Alliance UK is part of the Trial Management Group, which oversees the day-to-day running of the study. We help deliver the project and make sure that patients’ priorities and experiences are considered throughout the research.
The Trial Steering Committee has 2 patient representatives. This group oversees the study. They help ensure the study is being conducted as planned and in the best interests of patients who participate in the study.
Who is funding the study?
CARE-Aspirin is funded by a UKRI Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) partnership.
What happens next?
We will share future updates on the study. This will include things like:
- Information about who is eligible to take part in the study
- Letting you know when recruitment is starting
- The results of the study