When people contract mpox, the skin lesions can be painful and slow to heal. This led researchers to look closely at tecovirimat, an antiviral drug, to see if it could speed up the recovery process for those infected.
By looking at data from 941 patients with laboratory-confirmed mpox, the analysis found that tecovirimat did not shorten the time it took for skin lesions to clear. It also did not increase the number of people whose lesions resolved by day 28 or 29 when compared to a placebo.
While the drug was found to be comparable in terms of serious side effects, the evidence suggests it is not currently supported for routine use to accelerate recovery. Because deaths were rare in the trials studied, researchers could not fully measure its impact on survival rates. More research is still needed to see if specific high-risk groups might benefit from antiviral treatments.
Common questions
Does tecovirimat help skin lesions heal faster?
No, the data shows that tecovirimat did not shorten the time it took for skin lesions to clear compared to a placebo. It also did not increase the number of patients who saw their lesions resolve by day 28 or 29. Because of this, current evidence does not support using it to speed up recovery.
Is tecovirimat safe for people with mpox?
In the trials reviewed, serious adverse events were comparable between the groups that received tecovirimat and those that did not. While it was comparable in safety, it did not show a significant benefit in healing speed or survival rates for patients with laboratory-confirmed mpox.
Does tecovirimat improve survival rates for mpox?
Mortality at day 28 was rare in both trials studied. Because deaths were so rare in the groups, researchers could not perform a full analysis to see if the drug improved survival. More research is needed to see if high-risk populations might benefit from antiviral therapy.
