A new antiviral could stop measles before an outbreak takes off

Date: July 24, 2026 Source: Georgia State University Summary: An experimental pill prevented a measles-like virus from spreading through the air or through close contact in ferrets. It worked when given shortly before or after exposure and also shortened illness and the period when infected animals remained contagious. Researchers say the drug could one day complement vaccination and make outbreaks easier to contain. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY An experimental antiviral pill stopped a measles-like virus from spreading through the air, offering a potentially powerful new weapon against outbreaks. Credit: Shutterstock Researchers at Georgia State University have developed an experimental oral antiviral that prevented a measles-like virus from spreading between ferrets through both close contact and the air. The treatment also reduced symptoms when it was given either shortly before or shortly after exposure. The findings, published in Nature Microbiology, come from scientists at the Center for Translational Antiviral Research (CTAR). Their work focused on canine distemper virus, which produces a disease in ferrets that closely resembles measles. Antiviral Blocks Two Routes of Transmission The researchers tested a recently developed drug candidate called GHP-88310 (described in Science Advances). The medication is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of the viral polymerase, an enzyme the virus needs in order to reproduce. The team examined whether prophylactic (shortly before or after exposure) use of the drug could prevent transmission through direct contact or shared air. GHP-88310 successfully blocked both forms of spread. When the drug was used to treat animals that were already infected, it also reduced the length of time they remained capable of transmitting the virus. "Silencing measles outbreaks quickly is essential to reestablish control over the virus," said senior author Richard Plemper, a Regents' Professor and director of the CTAR. "This study follows our recent development of the drug candidate GHP-88310. It demonstrates that the drug is suitable to augment traditional ring vaccination against measles." Measles Outbreaks Return Across North America Measles has reemerged in the United States since 2025, causing thousands of infections across several states, hundreds of hospitalizations and three confirmed deaths. If equally applicable to human hosts, it may shorten the severe social and economic burden of prolonged quarantine of patients and further aid outbreak management." Drug Candidate Moves Toward Clinical Testing The researchers are now preparing GHP-88310 for formal clinical trials. Other contributors to the study included Josef Wolf, Claire Ruckel and Lauren Harrison of the Center for Translational Antiviral Research in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State.