An infectious disease expert on Tuesday stressed that no anti-viral or immune globulin treatments have been locally approved and authorized for the treatment of mpox by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a health forum hosted by the Philippine College of Physicians, PCP president Dr. Rontgene Solante clarified that while there are antiviral agents in ongoing clinical trials to assess the efficacy against mpox, such as tecovirimat, there are no local treatments yet approved here.

“[This] is one of the drugs that have also been used in the past for smallpox but this is still under investigation which means that using this is under clinical trial to really look at the effectiveness of its drug for most patients with mpox,” Solante explained.

Citing preliminary data, Solante said tecovirimat’s efficiency can be as high as 40 to 50 percent in preventing severe infection.

“There have also been other antiviral agents included in the list. You have your brincidofovir and cidofovir,” he said, adding some countries also use immune globulin vaccines.

“All of this is not yet in the Philippines and including other Asian countries,” he added.

There are currently three internationally approved vaccines against mpox, namely, MVA-BN smallpox vaccine, LC16m8 vaccine, and ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine.

Based on World Health Organization recommendation, populations to consider for vaccination are adults and children in a geographically defined area or community with documented risk of exposure, persons with multiple sexual contacts, health workers at risk of repeated exposure, and known contacts of persons with mpox.