A virus originally found in animals, mpox – which causes the disease of the same name – is now circulating in humans. Since 2022, it has been the cause of major epidemics spreading outside endemic areas in Central and West Africa. Two hundred and fifteen cases of mpox infection were reported to Santé publique France in 2024. Tecovirimat is the drug most commonly used to treat patients infected with the mpox virus. Unfortunately, it is sometimes ineffective against certain variants of the virus that have mutations in an enzyme. Scientists at the Institut Pasteur have been studying this resistance, and have been able to describe more precisely how this enzyme interacts with tecovirimat. This research will make it possible to develop novel antiviral therapeutic approaches. The study was published on February 12, 2025 in Nature Microbiology.
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