As US measles cases rise, biotech firms start developing new treatments

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美国麻疹疫情创下35年新高，迫使生物技术公司开始研发针对麻疹的治疗药物——这在过去几乎被认为没必要，因为疫苗实在太有效了。今年才到7月，美国病例数已经超过去年全年的2289例，而2024年全年仅有285例。面对接种率持续下滑的现状，几家生物公司和学术团队终于行动起来，为已感染者和需要短期保护的高危人群开发治疗手段。不过，这些新药上市可能还需要好几年，更不确定的是，那些拒绝疫苗的人是否愿意接受治疗。对普通人来说，短期内最可靠的保护依然是接种疫苗；长期来看，或许会有更多药物选择，但疫情反弹已经敲响警钟——依赖群体免疫的时代正在改变。

Up until recently, measles vaccination has been so effective that there’s been little medical or financial incentive to develop treatments for the disease. But as measles cases hit a 35-year high and vaccination rates continue to decline in the US, a handful of biotech companies and academic groups have started working on measles treatments for those infected with the virus as well as vulnerable individuals needing short-term protection. It will likely be years, however, before these countermeasures are available, and it’s even more uncertain if those who refuse vaccines would take such treatments. Fueled by large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah, the US had already surpassed last year’s 2,289 measles cases, and it’s only July. For comparison, there were just 285 cases in all of 2024.Read full article Comments