Measles cases in the US have hit a 35-year high, driven by falling vaccination rates and large outbreaks in states including South Carolina and Utah. In response, a small number of biotech firms and academic researchers have begun developing treatments for the disease, something that was previously seen as unnecessary given how effective vaccination has historically been. Any such treatments remain years away, and it is unclear whether people who refuse vaccination would be willing to accept them either.

US measles cases have already exceeded the 2,289 recorded for the whole of last year, up sharply from just 285 in 2024, despite it only being July. At least 95% vaccine coverage is normally needed to protect infants and immunocompromised people, but many communities now fall well short of that. With no measles-specific treatment currently available, doctors rely on supportive care, and companies such as Invivyd, alongside researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, are exploring monoclonal antibody therapies, though funding, manufacturing costs and the limited profitability of infectious-disease drugs pose significant hurdles.