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As US measles cases rise, biotech firms start developing new treatments
Measles cases in the US have hit a 35-year high as vaccination rates decline, prompting a handful of biotech firms and academic researchers to begin developing treatments for a disease that was previously considered largely conquered through vaccination. There is currently no measles-specific treatment, so doctors can only offer supportive care such as preventing dehydration, managing breathing problems and giving steroids or vitamin A, none of which target the virus itself. Any new therapies are likely years away from availability, and it remains unclear whether vaccine-hesitant individuals would be willing to use them even once developed.
The US had already surpassed last year's total of 2,289 measles cases by July, driven by large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah, compared with just 285 cases in the whole of 2024; at least 95% vaccination coverage is needed to protect the community, but rates have fallen below this threshold in many areas, leaving young children particularly vulnerable to complications including pneumonia, deafness and brain damage. Connecticut-based Invivyd is developing a monoclonal antibody therapy, similar to those used for COVID-19, that could offer short-term protection to at-risk individuals during an outbreak, while researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have identified antibodies that reduced viral load 500-fold in rodent trials. Significant hurdles remain, including the cost of clinical trials and scaling up manufacturing, and infectious disease drugs are often unattractive to pharmaceutical companies due to their sporadic demand.
In short
- US measles cases hit a 35-year high amid falling vaccination rates
- No specific treatment exists; care is currently only supportive
- Biotech firms are developing antibody therapies, still years from use
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Measles cases are genuinely rising and infected individuals currently have no antiviral options to reduce severe complications like deafness and brain damage. Developing treatments provides people with better clinical options for severe cases and need not detract from simultaneous vaccination campaigns. Treatment development alongside prevention efforts represents a pragmatic approach when vaccination rates have already fallen dangerously low in some areas.
The case against
The fundamental problem is declining vaccination rates, not a lack of treatment options, and directing resources toward developing therapies for a preventable disease risks shifting focus from the proven solution that could eliminate measles entirely. There is genuine concern that available treatments might reduce perceived urgency around vaccination, particularly among hesitant populations, and the story itself notes uncertainty about whether vaccine-hesitant people would use such treatments anyway. For a disease that vaccination prevents outright, public health resources should prioritise prevention rather than managing preventable illness through costly treatments.
Explained simply
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that was brought under control in the United States through widespread vaccination, making cases rare. Vaccination rates have now fallen below the levels needed to maintain that protection, particularly in certain areas where vaccine hesitancy has grown, allowing the disease to spread again.
Currently there is no medication that targets the measles virus itself, so doctors can only manage symptoms like fever, dehydration and breathing problems. This makes vaccination crucial, as the disease can cause serious complications including pneumonia, deafness and brain damage, particularly in young children in low-vaccination areas.
In response to rising cases, some biotech companies and academic researchers are developing treatments that could either fight the virus directly or protect at-risk people during outbreaks. These new drugs would still be years away from use, and developers face significant challenges in testing and manufacturing them.
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