Stroke patients treated intravenously with loberamisal, a novel neuroprotective medication, daily for 10 days starting within 48 hours of symptom onset showed better recovery than those receiving a placebo, according to preliminary findings presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2026 in New Orleans.
The Phase III clinical trial, conducted at 32 centers in China, enrolled 998 adults aged 18 to 80 with moderate to severe ischemic stroke. Participants received either 40 mg of loberamisal or a matched placebo intravenously daily for 10 days. At 90 days, 69% of those treated with loberamisal achieved excellent functional recovery—defined as little to no disability on the modified Rankin Scale—compared to about 56% in the placebo group. The treatment was considered safe, with no increased risk of serious side effects or death.
“Neuroprotective agents may help improve patient outcomes since they are aimed at preserving the function of neurovascular units. However, trials for most of these agents have not been successful,” said study author Shuya Li, M.D., director of the Clinical Trial Center at Beijing Tiantan Hospital. “New treatments for stroke may come from multi-target neuroprotective agents, which could lead to important advancements in reducing or preventing disability after a stroke.”
The American Stroke Association’s 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke notes that neuroprotection has garnered renewed interest, though knowledge gaps remain. Loberamisal is a small-molecule, dual-acting agent designed to protect brain cells by targeting multiple pathways.
Only about 17% of study participants received standard IV clot-busting medication (alteplase), limiting assessment of combined effects. Patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy were excluded. The trial was conducted solely in China, so results may not directly translate to other populations. Researchers emphasize the need for further studies in diverse racial and ethnic groups and in patients with more severe strokes or those who have had vascular surgery.
Study limitations include that most participants had moderate to severe strokes, and no blood or imaging biomarkers were assessed to understand how loberamisal works. Despite these constraints, the findings represent a significant step in neuroprotective therapy for stroke. According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, stroke is now the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
The research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. The study was funded by undisclosed sources, and co-author disclosures are available in the abstract.
