Chinese researchers have found that an existing oral antiviral drug shows strong activity against the Nipah virus, a highly lethal pathogen with a fatality rate of up to 70 percent. A study published in Emerging Microbes & Infections reported that VV116, a nucleoside drug already approved for COVID-19 treatment in China and Uzbekistan, significantly inhibited Nipah virus strains in laboratory experiments and improved survival rates in animal trials. The research, led by the Wuhan Institute of Virology in collaboration with other Chinese institutions and a biotech company, showed the drug was effective against both the Malaysian and Bangladeshi strains of the virus by targeting an enzyme critical to viral replication. In animal models, oral administration of VV116 substantially increased survival and reduced viral loads in major organs. Researchers said the drug’s existing approval for human use could speed up its potential application against Nipah, which has seen renewed outbreaks in South Asia and currently has no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
Credit : CGTN
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