ISLAMABAD: In a major breakthrough, Johnson & Johnson has reported promising results from a small human challenge trial of their pill for dengue fever which they say may save millions of lives.
Dengue is a growing disease threat with no specific treatments available at present. In the trial, 10 volunteers were given a high dose of the J&J pill five days before being exposed to dengue. They also continued taking the pill for 21 days after the exposure.
Six of the volunteers showed no detectable dengue virus in their blood and no signs of an immune response to the virus over 85 days of monitoring.
The experts have called the antiviral pill a significant development as there have been no specific treatments for dengue until now. Dengue fever is prevalent in Latin America and Asia, causing millions of infections and tens of thousands of deaths each year.
The scientists have termed the trial results encouraging and the next step will be testing the pill as a treatment. The new medicine works by blocking the action of two viral proteins, preventing the virus from replicating itself.
The low- and middle-income countries, where dengue is prevalent, would particularly benefit if it proves effective on a larger scale.
Dengue is likely to spread further due to climate change, making it important to develop effective treatments.
