Stroke patients treated with a novel neuroprotective medication within 48 hours of symptoms showed significantly better recovery outcomes compared to those receiving a placebo, according to preliminary findings from a Phase III clinical trial presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2026. The study, conducted across 32 centers in China, tested intravenous loberamisal, a dual-target treatment designed to protect brain cells in the critical early period after stroke.
At 90 days post-treatment, 69% of participants receiving loberamisal achieved excellent functional recovery with little to no disability, compared to approximately 56% in the placebo group. The treatment was administered daily for 10 days starting within 48 hours of moderate to severe stroke symptoms. Study author Shuya Li, M.D., director of the Clinical Trial Center at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, noted that while neuroprotective agents have historically shown limited success in trials, "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 new 2026 Guideline for the Early Management of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke acknowledges renewed interest in neuroprotection, though current knowledge gaps require further research. According to the American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, stroke remains the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., making effective treatments critically important. More information about stroke statistics is available at https://www.stroke.org.
The trial involved 998 adults aged 18 to 80 with confirmed blocked-vessel strokes and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores between 7 and 20, indicating moderate to severe strokes. Participants were randomized to receive either 40 mg of loberamisal or a matched placebo, with neither investigators nor participants knowing treatment assignments. The study excluded patients who had undergone mechanical thrombectomy or had certain medical conditions, and only about 17% received standard clot-busting medications, limiting assessment of combined treatment effects.
Researchers reported the treatment appeared safe, with no increased risk of serious side effects or death compared to placebo. However, study limitations include its exclusive conduct in China, which may limit generalizability to other populations, and the absence of biomarker assessments to understand loberamisal's mechanisms. Li emphasized the need for confirmation "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."
The findings, presented as an abstract at the conference, are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. The American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2026 Online Program Planner includes the abstract at https://professional.heart.org/en/meetings/international-stroke-conference. The research represents a potential advancement in stroke treatment, particularly for the critical early intervention window where preserving brain function can significantly impact long-term disability outcomes.
