TPOXX (tecovirimat) works by targeting only one protein found in monkeypox, as well as smallpox and similar viruses. Its use for monkeypox is still considered experimental, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. Even a molecular change in the virus “could have a large impact on the antiviral activity of TPOXX,” the FDA said in an online update. “For most patients with an intact immune system, supportive care and pain control may be sufficient,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. Meanwhile, the US National Institutes of Health will conduct a study of more than 500 patients at 60 sites to detect any signs of mutations in the monkeypox virus. Research in labs, animals and humans has shown that monkeypox could develop resistance to the antiviral in several ways, the FDA said. Federal health officials are cautiously optimistic about the outbreak. Cases have dropped by 50 percent since peaking last month, according to the CDC. Rochelle Walensky, MD, CDC director, said during Thursday’s monkeypox briefing that vaccinations, an educational approach and reducing behaviors linked to the spread have had an impact. More information
