Researchers at Georgia State University have demonstrated that an experimental oral antiviral pill can completely block the transmission of a measles-like virus — both through the air and through direct contact — offering a potential breakthrough in the fight against resurgent measles outbreaks.
The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, tested the drug candidate GHP-88310, a broad-spectrum inhibitor of the viral polymerase. When administered shortly before or after exposure to canine distemper virus (which causes measles-like disease in ferrets), the drug completely prevented transmission.
'We were very excited to see that GHP-88310 given by mouth completely prevented airborne transmission in our ferret model of measles,' said first author Carolin Lieber, a senior postdoctoral fellow. 'This finding is unprecedented for a viral polymerase inhibitor and demonstrates the extraordinary antiviral potency of this drug.'
The research team developed a system that allowed them to pair infected and uninfected animals in direct physical contact or shared airspace under controlled conditions, recapitulating viral spread between people in households and in indoor settings like classrooms.
Senior author Richard Plemper, Regents' Professor and director of the Center for Translational Antiviral Research, said the drug is suitable to augment traditional ring vaccination against measles. Treatment also shortened the duration of illness and the period during which infected animals could transmit the virus.
The breakthrough comes as measles has reemerged dramatically in the United States since 2025, with thousands of cases across multiple states, hundreds of hospitalizations, and three confirmed deaths. Large outbreaks in Canada and Mexico have challenged North America's measles elimination status.
The investigators are now preparing GHP-88310 for formal clinical testing in humans, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). If successful, the drug could provide a critical tool for rapidly containing measles outbreaks without relying solely on vaccination.
