A research team from Johnson & Johnson has successfully tested a new drug for dengue fever. The results of the study are reported by the Medical Xpress portal.

In 2021, scientists conducted the first test of a drug that could become a means of preventing and treating the virus on cell cultures and mice. A compound called JNJ-1802 showed high efficiency. Now the experts decided to test the tool on animals closer to people - monkeys.

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In an experiment to study the prophylactic properties of JNJ-1802, it completely blocked the replication of the two most common strains in test subjects. At the same time, in the control group, viral RNA was detected between the third and seventh day after infection. The drug proved its effectiveness as a method of treatment for all strains of the virus.

Dengue fever can cause intense flu-like symptoms and, when severe, can be fatal. Moreover, infection with one of the four strains does not protect against another, re-infection is often more difficult than the first.

The virus is carried primarily by mosquitoes in warm, humid climates, in countries where no treatment is available. In such circumstances, the main goal is to create ways to reduce the transmission of infection. Current vaccines are only approved for use in a small number of countries and are effective against only one strain.