Hong Kong researchers have developed the world’s first nasal spray that can be administered as first aid treatment to ischemic stroke sufferers, significantly reducing their risk of brain damage and other stroke-related complications.
At a press conference yesterday, the team introduced the “NanoPowder nasal spray,” which was jointly developed by the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) and the InnoHK Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre (ABIC).
Based on preclinical animal testing, the team concluded that stroke patients who inhale the medicine within 30 minutes of experiencing symptoms would be able to reduce stroke-related brain damage from the blockage of blood vessels by over 80 percent. As well, the spray would allow early-stage stroke sufferers to retain their neurological and motor functions.
The effectiveness of the new drug is due to its use of tiny neurotherapeutic powder that can be directly delivered from the nose to the brain. In this way, the spray is able to overcome the body’s blood-brain barrier, a cellular membrane that it uses to prevent most other drugs from entering the brain.
“The nasal spray is characterised by its quick response, portability, and user-friendliness,” said HKUMed associate professor Aviva Chow Shing-fung, the project’s lead researcher. “It allows patients to receive early protection en route to hospital or even within the community, significantly slowing the death of brain cells under ischemic conditions and effectively preserving still-viable brain tissues, thereby buying valuable time for subsequent treatments.”
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Shao Zitong, an ABIC researcher, concurred, noting that the nasal spray is meant to be an early emergency intervention measure rather than a substitute for hospital treatment. She stressed that the drug allowed for prehospital “neuroprotection,” which is important as “even an additional ten minutes of brain protection might determine whether a patient can walk or speak in the future.”
Clinical trials of the NanoPowder nasal spray are scheduled to take place in 2030, with plans to first make the drug available for paramedic use. This will be followed by distribution to high-risk groups in care facilities before commercial sale via pharmacies.
The innovative nasal spray has already received a number of awards, including the Special Grand Prize – Prize of the Chinese Delegation and Golden Medal with Congratulations of the Jury at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva between 11 and 15 March 2026.
According to data cited by HKUMed, ischemic stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world, resulting in a global cost of over US$890 billion each year. Over 85 percent of stroke patients do not receive treatment in time, with timely intervention within the narrow “golden therapeutic window” remaining one of the major obstacles that the medical community is trying to overcome.
