First successful human trial of dengue drug

Washington: Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, remains a significant health concern in various regions of Pakistan.

It often presents flu-like symptoms, including high fever, and can escalate to severe conditions, including bleeding and even death.

While there is currently no cure for dengue, doctors can manage its symptoms to some extent.

However, a recent clinical trial has offered promising results for a potential treatment for the disease.

Developed in the United States by Johnson & Johnson, this experimental drug was tested on a small group of people.

Ten healthy participants were recruited and administered high doses of the drug for five days before being exposed to the dengue virus.

After the virus injection, the drug was continued for an additional 21 days.

The results were encouraging. Among the ten participants, six showed no detectable dengue virus in their blood, and no signs of virus infection were observed during 85 days of monitoring.

It's important to note that the individuals were exposed to a weakened version of the virus.

Researchers are now preparing for the second phase of clinical trials, which will evaluate the drug's effectiveness against four different strains of the dengue virus.

Following these trials, the drug may move closer to becoming an approved treatment.

The drug works by blocking two viral proteins, preventing the virus from replicating, and has shown a favorable safety profile in trial participants.