Discovery of the nucleoside analogue FMAU as a broad-spectrum anti-orthopoxvirus inhibitor in vitro and in vivo using a structure-guided hit expansion strategy
In vivo mouse studies showed that FMAU treatment provided full protection against lethal VACV and MPXV challenges, while significantly reducing viral loads in lung tissues, and oral FMAU administration retained potent therapeutic efficacy against MPXV in a mouse model of MPXV infection.