EPO and stroke disorder: However, a follow-up Phase II/III clinical trial (German Multicenter EPO Stroke Trial) of 460 patients was negative for the beneficial effects of EPO, EPO treatment correlated with increased risk of serious complications including intracerebral hemorrhage, thromboembolic events and death, especially and unexpectedly in patients also receiving recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) for thrombolysis to improve clinical outcome of patients with early onset of symptoms [211].