There are two main types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are caused by blockage of an artery while hemorrhagic strokes result from bleeding. The goal of acute stroke treatment is to revive brain tissue at risk of infarction by rapidly restoring blood flow. Alteplase is a thrombolytic drug approved for treatment of acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 hours of symptom onset to dissolve clots. It works by activating plasminogen into plasmin, which breaks down fibrin clots.