The antiviral drug tecovirimat did not reduce the duration of mpox lesions in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
The results were studied among children and adults with mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to an Aug. 15 news release from the National Institutes of Health. Detailed results will be released through scientific channels, the NIH said.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Jeanne Marrazoo, MD, called the results "disappointing" and said they "reinforce the need to identify other therapeutic candidates for mpox."
The World Health Organization on Aug. 14 declared the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries a public health emergency of international concern.