Assessing a drug for an eradicated human disease: US Food and Drug Administration review of tecovirimat for the treatment of smallpox.

Chan-Tack, Kirk M; Harrington, Patrick R; Choi, Su-Young; Myers, Laine; O'Rear, Julian; Seo, Shirley; McMillan, David; Ghantous, Hanan et al. · Lancet Infect Dis · 2019

review · Level V

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Abstract

The development and ultimate approval of tecovirimat for the antiviral treatment of smallpox, a disease that has been eradicated from the world for nearly 40 years, required a unique regulatory approach based on the US Food and Drug Administration's Animal Rule. We summarise the regulatory pathway and describe the challenges involved.

Medical subject headings