US approves new drug to treat smallpox to counter the risk of bioterrorism – Xinhua

LOS ANGELES, July 15 (Xinhua) – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the new drug tecovirimat to treat smallpox, the first drug against the deadly disease since a vast vaccination campaign there is more than three decades. 19659002] Although the World Health Organization declared smallpox, a contagious and sometimes deadly disease, eradicated in 1980, "there has long been concern that smallpox could be used as a biological weapon", so tecovirimat (TPOXX ) has been developed. "To counteract the risk of bioterrorism, Congress has taken steps to allow the development and approval of countermeasures to counteract the pathogens that could be used as weapons," said Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner for FDA

. "Approval" is an important milestone in these efforts. This new treatment offers us an additional option if smallpox is ever used as a biological weapon, "said Gottlieb

. TPOXX to SIGA Technologies Inc. The new drug was developed in collaboration with the Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The efficacy of the new smallpox drug has been established. animals infected with viruses closely related to the smallpox virus and which were based on the measure of survival at the end of the studies. According to the FDA, the number of animals treated with TPOXX was greater than that of animals treated with placebo.

The safety of TPOXX was evaluated in 359 healthy human volunteers without smallpox infection. The most commonly reported side effects were headache, nausea and abdominal pain.

Prior to its eradication in 1980, variola virus, the virus responsible for smallpox, was transmitted primarily through direct contact between individuals

. 14 days after infection and included fever, exhaustion, headache and back pain. A rash that initially consisted of small pink bumps evolved into wounds filled with pus before it crusted and healed.

The complications of smallpox could include encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), corneal ulcerations (open wounds on the anterior side). the eye) and blindness.