Treatment with the smallpox antiviral tecovirimat (ST-246) alone or in combination with ACAM2000 vaccination is effective as a postsymptomatic therapy for monkeypox virus infection.

Abstract

The therapeutic efficacies of smallpox vaccine ACAM2000 and antiviral tecovirimat given alone or in combination starting on day 3 postinfection were compared in a cynomolgus macaque model of lethal monkeypox virus infection. Postexposure administration of ACAM2000 alone did not provide any protection against severe monkeypox disease or mortality. In contrast, postexposure treatment with tecovirimat alone or in combination with ACAM2000 provided full protection. Additionally, tecovirimat treatment delayed until day 4, 5, or 6 postinfection was 83% (days 4 and 5) or 50% (day 6) effective.

• Authors: Aklile Berhanu, Jonathan T Prigge, Peter M Silvera, Kady M Honeychurch, Dennis E Hruby, Douglas W Grosenbach
• Journal: Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (Antimicrob Agents Chemother) Vol. 59 Issue 7 Pg. 4296-300 (Jul 2015) ISSN: 1098-6596 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25896687 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Chemical References

• ACAM2000
• Antiviral Agents
• Benzamides
• Isoindoles
• Smallpox Vaccine
• Viral Vaccines
• tecovirimat

Topics

• Animals
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Benzamides (therapeutic use)
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Isoindoles (therapeutic use)
• Leukocyte Count
• Macaca fascicularis
• Monkeypox (drug therapy, mortality, virology)
• Monkeypox virus (immunology)
• Smallpox (drug therapy)
• Smallpox Vaccine (therapeutic use)
• Vaccination
• Viral Load (drug effects)
• Viral Vaccines (therapeutic use)