Stroke patients treated intravenously with loberamisal, a novel neuroprotective medication, daily for 10 days starting within 48 hours of symptom onset had a higher rate of excellent functional recovery than those receiving placebo, according to preliminary results from a Phase III clinical trial presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2026 in New Orleans.
The study, conducted across 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 via daily intravenous infusion for 10 days, beginning within 48 hours of stroke onset. 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 56% in the placebo group. The treatment was deemed 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.”
Loberamisal is a small-molecule, dual-acting neuroprotective agent that showed efficacy in rodent studies. 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. Only about 17% of trial participants received standard IV clot-busting medication (e.g., alteplase), limiting assessment of combined effects. Patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy were excluded.
Study limitations include its conduct solely in China, meaning results may not directly translate to other populations. Additionally, most participants had moderate to severe strokes, and no blood or imaging biomarkers were assessed. “We want to confirm our findings with larger groups of people, including people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, patients with more severe strokes and those who also have had vascular surgery,” Li said. The researchers plan to study biomarkers in multiple population groups to better understand how loberamisal works.
The findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. The trial was funded by undisclosed sources, and details on co-author disclosures and funding are available in the abstract. For more information on stroke, visit the American Stroke Association.”
