In a world's-first study, British scientists are set to launch a trial to test a possible treatment for monkeypox symptoms.
Researchers from the University of Oxford want to assess whether an antiviral drug called Tecovirimat – also known as Tpoxx – can help alleviate symptoms and reduce the amount of time that infected people are sick. They are hoping to recruit 500 people from around the UK to join the trial.
The drug, which was created to treat smallpox, works by preventing the virus from leaving the infected cell, which stops the spread of the virus within the body. Health officials in the UK licenced the drug earlier this year based on results from initial studies in animals and safety evidence from human volunteers.
