Stroke patients treated intravenously with loberamisal, a novel neuroprotective medication, daily for 10 days starting within 48 hours of symptom onset had better recovery than those receiving a placebo, according to preliminary findings presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2026. The phase III trial, conducted across 32 centers in China, enrolled 998 adults aged 18 to 80 with moderate to severe ischemic stroke caused by a blocked vessel.
At 90 days, 69% of patients in the loberamisal group achieved excellent functional recovery, defined as little to no disability on the modified Rankin Scale (score 0-1), compared to 56% in the placebo group. The treatment was deemed safe, with no increased risk of serious side effects or death. Study author Shuya Li, M.D., director of the Clinical Trial Center at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, noted that neuroprotective agents aim to preserve neurovascular unit function, but prior trials have largely failed. Loberamisal is a small-molecule, dual-target agent that showed efficacy in rodent studies.
The American Stroke Association’s new 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke highlights renewed interest in neuroprotection. However, the trial’s limitations include its restriction to Chinese participants, meaning results may not generalize globally. Only about 17% of participants received standard clot-busting medication, and those undergoing mechanical thrombectomy were excluded. No blood or imaging biomarkers were assessed, limiting mechanistic insights. Researchers plan to confirm findings in larger, more diverse populations and explore biomarkers.
The study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial over nine months (July 2024 to April 2025), used computer-generated randomization. Participants had NIHSS scores of 7-20, indicating moderate to severe stroke. Functional outcomes were assessed at 90 days via face-to-face interviews or telephone questionnaires. Despite 20 participants not completing follow-up, they were included in the analysis. The findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. For more details, see the abstract and the American Heart Association news release.
