Los Angeles: As cases of monkeypox continue to rise globally, a new study published in the journal JAMA has found a potentially effective antiviral drug for it. The antiviral tacrovirimate appears to be safe and effective for the treatment of monkeypox symptoms and skin lesions. A study of 25 monkeypox patients, published in the journal, is the first to evaluate and report the results of treatment of patients with the disease with this antiviral. A recent global outbreak of monkeypox has resulted in more than 45,500 cases as of August 22, 2022. While symptoms usually resolve on their own within 2-4 weeks, a recent study shows that 13 percent of patients require hospitalization.Also Read – Germany to distribute 19,500 more monkeypox wax doses
What is TPOXX?
Tecovirimat (TPOXX) is an antiviral drug for the treatment of smallpox. It limits viral spread in the body by inhibiting the function of proteins involved in the release of the enveloped virus. Recently, the US The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved prescribing tacovirimate to physicians on a compassionate use basis for the treatment of adults and children with orthopoxvirus infections, including monkeypox. Also Read – Center, Ministry of Health issued advisory on warning of increasing cases of tomato flu in India
“We have very limited clinical data on the use of tacovirimate for monkeypox infection. “There is much to learn about the natural progression of the disease and how tacovirimate and other antivirals may affect it,” said study lead author Angel Desai, an adult infectious disease specialist at the University of California (UC) Davis. Also Read – A man tests positive for monkeypox, covid and HIV at the same time. He reported these symptoms…
Study findings
The new study included patients primarily referred to UC Davis Medical Center by the Sacramento County Department of Public Health between June 3 and August 13, 2022. Patients with skin lesions in multiple parts of the body or in sensitive areas such as the face or genital area were offered oral tacovirimate treatment. Treatment was weight-based, given every 8 or 12 hours and taken within 30 minutes of a high-fat meal.
Researchers collected clinical data at the first in-person assessment for treatment and by in-person or telephone interviews on day 7 and day 21 after initiation of therapy.
In total, 25 patients with confirmed monkeypox infection completed a course of tacovirimate therapy. All were male. His age was between 27 to 76 years. Nine patients were infected with HIV. Only one patient had a smallpox vaccine, received 25 years earlier, and the other four received a dose of JYNNEOS vaccination after the onset of symptoms.
The study found that 92 percent of patients had lesions in their genital or rectal area. While all patients had painful lesions, about half of the patients had fewer than 10 lesions on their entire body.
On average, patients had symptoms or lesions for 12 days before starting their antiviral treatment. Fever was the most common symptom (76 percent of patients), followed by fatigue (32 percent), sore throat (20 percent), and chills (20 percent).
“We have to be very careful in how we interpret the data. It’s difficult to distinguish side effects from treatment from those caused by infection, said co-author George Thompson, an infectious diseases expert.
The study was small and did not include a control group. Therefore, assessment of antiviral efficacy in terms of duration and severity of symptoms was limited, the researchers said. The time from symptom onset to initiation of antiviral therapy varies among patients, they said. Researchers have called for larger-scale studies to explore antiviral efficacy dosing and adverse events.
In the US, the JYNNEOS vaccine is already approved for the prevention of monkeypox disease in persons 18 years of age and older who are at high risk for monkeypox infection.
(with PTI inputs)
