Oral Antiviral GHP-88310 Blocks Measles Transmission in Ferret Model, Paving Way for Clinical Trials
核心洞察
GHP-88310 (搜索), a broad-spectrum viral polymerase (搜索) inhibitor, completely blocked airborne and direct-contact transmission of a measles (搜索)-like virus in a ferret model.
Prophylactic administration before or after exposure prevented viral spread, while therapeutic use shortened the infectious period in already-infected animals.
The study, published in Nature Microbiology, modeled real-world transmission scenarios including household contact and classroom-style airborne exposure.
An investigational oral antiviral has demonstrated the ability to completely block both airborne and direct-contact transmission of a measles (搜索)-like virus in a ferret model, according to new research from the Center for Translational Antiviral Research (CTAR) at Georgia State University. The findings, published in Nature Microbiology, position the drug candidate GHP-88310 (搜索) as a potential tool to augment traditional ring vaccination strategies and silence measles outbreaks before they take hold.
The study arrives at a critical moment: since 2025, measles (搜索) has reemerged in the United States with thousands of cases across multiple states, hundreds of hospitalizations, and three confirmed deaths. Large outbreaks in Canada and Mexico, also involving multiple deaths, have challenged North America's measles elimination status.
Dual Mechanism: Prophylaxis and Therapeutic Benefit
GHP-88310 (搜索) is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of the viral polymerase (搜索), the enzyme viruses require for replication. The compound was previously described in Science Advances, and the new study represents a significant extension of that work into transmission dynamics.
The research team, led by senior author Richard Plemper, a Regents' Professor and director of CTAR, tested whether prophylactic administration—given shortly before or after exposure—could prevent viral spread. The results were striking: GHP-88310 (搜索) successfully blocked transmission through both direct physical contact and shared airspace.
"We were very excited to see that GHP-88310 (搜索) given by mouth completely prevented airborne transmission in our ferret model of measles (搜索)," said first author Carolin Lieber, a senior postdoctoral fellow in the Plemper lab. "This finding is unprecedented for a viral polymerase (搜索) inhibitor and demonstrates the extraordinary antiviral potency of this drug."
Beyond prophylaxis, the drug also showed therapeutic promise. When administered to animals already infected, GHP-88310 (搜索) shortened the duration of the infectious period—the window during which an infected individual can transmit the virus to others.
Modeling Real-World Transmission
To ensure the findings would be clinically relevant, the researchers designed a controlled system that recapitulated realistic transmission scenarios. Infected and uninfected animals were paired either in direct physical contact—mimicking household transmission—or in shared airspace without touching, analogous to classrooms or other indoor settings where people share proximity without direct interaction.
"We designed the study to recapitulate viral spread between people with direct contact, for instance in a household, and between more distant social contacts, for example in classrooms or other indoor settings that bring people into proximity without direct interaction," Plemper explained.
The study utilized canine distemper virus (搜索), which produces a disease in ferrets that closely mirrors measles (搜索) in humans, making it a well-established model for studying measles pathogenesis and intervention strategies.
Implications for Outbreak Management
The dual prophylactic and therapeutic profile of GHP-88310 (搜索) carries significant implications for public health response. "Silencing measles (搜索) outbreaks quickly is essential to reestablish control over the virus," Plemper said. "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."
Plemper further noted that if the therapeutic shortening of disease duration translates to human hosts, the drug "may shorten the severe social and economic burden of prolonged quarantine of patients and further aid outbreak management."
Path Toward Clinical Testing
The investigators are now preparing GHP-88310 (搜索) for formal clinical trials. The research was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional contributors to the study included Josef Wolf, Claire Ruckel, and Lauren Harrison, all of the Center for Translational Antiviral Research in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State.