Treatment of Monkeypox Disease
The current circulating strain of monkeypox has been to date limited to the West African clade, which tends to cause milder disease. Most patients have mild disease and recover without medical intervention. Patients with severe monkeypox disease, including those with pain that interferes with the activities of daily living, and patients at high risk for severe disease should be considered for treatment.
Tecovirimat (also known as TPOXX or ST-246) is an FDA-approved antiviral medication for the treatment of human smallpox disease. The CDC holds an expanded access Investigational New Drug (EA-IND) protocol that allows for the use of stockpiled tecovirimat to treat monkeypox disease during an outbreak.
Data are not available on the effectiveness of tecovirimat in treating monkeypox infections in people, but studies using a variety of animal species have shown that tecovirimat is effective in treating disease caused by orthopoxviruses. Clinical trials in people showed the drug was safe and had only minor side effects.
Tecovirimat is available for use in Los Angeles County for patients who meet the CDC clinical criteria. Informed consent is required for all patients treated with tecovirimat and providers must follow the CDC EA-IND protocol. Tecovirimat is available in oral and intravenous formulations
