Key drug used to combat recent Mpox outbreak proves ineffective against new deadly strain of Clade-1 disease – Firstpost

Recent research has shown that the antiviral drug tecovirimat, used in the last global Mpox outbreak in 2022-23, made no noticeable difference in the duration of lesions (sores) in people infected with the Mpox virus strain clade 1.

The drug, also known as TPOXX, was tested to see if it could help shorten the duration of MPOX symptoms in children and adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Clade 1 strain of the virus has been spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo since around September last year.

“The results are disappointing, but…”

Tecovirimat was originally developed and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat smallpox. Smallpox is closely related to smallpox but much more serious.

The study, which found that tecovirimat is safe but does not improve clade 1 mpox resolution, was sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“These results are disappointing, but they provide us with important information and underscore the need to identify other therapeutic candidates for Mpox as we continue research into the use of tecovirimat in other populations with Mpox,” said NIAID Director Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH.

A glimmer of hope

The researchers who conducted the study said all participants received supportive care including nutrition, hydration and treatment of secondary infections.

They noted: “Overall mortality was lower and lesions healed faster than expected, regardless of whether participants received tecovirimat or placebo.”

This suggests that appropriate supportive care helps patients survive and recover from Mpox.

The Mpox emergency and its impact on children

Due to the spread of this highly contagious Mpox strain in parts of Africa and other regions of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency.

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 67 percent of suspected MPOX cases in the DRC and 78 percent of suspected MPOX deaths occurred in people ages 15 and younger.