Georgia State University researchers have created an experimental antiviral pill that halts measles transmission between people, blocking both direct contact spread and airborne infection in animal studies. The breakthrough offers a potential weapon to contain outbreaks that have resurged across North America since 2025.
The drug candidate, called GHP-88310, works by shutting down a viral enzyme the pathogen needs to reproduce. When given before or after exposure, the medication prevented a measles-like disease from jumping between ferrets through air and close contact. The ferrets that did get infected shed the virus for shorter periods, reducing contagion windows.
The findings appear in Nature Microbiology and stem from work at the Center for Translational Antiviral Research. Scientists tested the compound in controlled conditions mimicking real-world transmission: some ferrets shared direct physical space, others breathed the same air without touching. GHP-88310 blocked transmission in both scenarios.
Measles has roared back in recent years. The U.S. has seen thousands of infections, hundreds of hospitalizations and three confirmed deaths since 2025. Canada and Mexico face similar crises with multiple deaths reported, threatening the continent's measles-free status that took decades to achieve.
"Silencing measles outbreaks quickly is essential to reestablish control over the virus," said Richard Plemper, a senior researcher directing the project. "This demonstrates that the drug is suitable to augment traditional ring vaccination against measles."
The oral formulation proved especially striking to the research team. Carolin Lieber, the study's lead author, called the findings "unprecedented for a viral polymerase inhibitor," noting that GHP-88310 completely prevented airborne spread in the ferret model. If that result carries over to humans, it could dramatically shrink quarantine periods and ease the social and economic cost of outbreaks.
The researchers engineered their tests to match household and classroom settings, where people either interact directly or spend time in proximity without contact. Both transmission routes fell to the drug.
GHP-88310 is now moving toward formal clinical trials in humans. The National Institutes of Health's allergy and infectious disease division funded the work.
Author Jessica Williams: "A pill that stops measles cold and cuts quarantine time could change outbreak response overnight, but it won't matter if we don't get it to people who need it before the next wave hits."
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