Remdesivir Shows Protection Against Nipah Virus in African Green Monkeys
Nipah virus is a highly dangerous zoonotic pathogen with a case-fatality rate of up to 70%. First identified in Malaysia in 1998, it continues to cause outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia. The 2026 outbreak in West Bengal, India, again highlights the urgent need for effective antiviral therapies, as there is still no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
A 2019 preclinical study evaluated the antiviral remdesivir (GS-5734) in African green monkeys infected with a lethal dose of the Nipah virus Bangladesh genotype. Treatment began 24 hours after infection and was administered intravenously once daily for 12 days.
The results were striking: all untreated animals developed severe respiratory disease and died, while all remdesivir-treated animals survived. Only mild respiratory symptoms were observed in two treated animals, and their clinical scores returned to baseline within three weeks.
An important aspect of the therapy is the drug formulation. Remdesivir was administered in a vehicle containing 12% sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin, a modified cyclodextrin used to improve the solubility and delivery of poorly soluble antiviral compounds.
This cyclodextrin-enabled formulation plays a crucial role in making intravenous remdesivir possible, highlighting how drug delivery technologies such as sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin can be essential for translating antiviral molecules into effective therapies.
Given the absence of proven treatments for Nipah virus infection in humans, these findings suggest that cyclodextrin-formulated remdesivir deserves renewed attention as a potential therapeutic option.
