A preclinical study reported that the oral viral polymerase inhibitor GHP-88310 blocked contact-mediated and airborne transmission in a ferret model of measles-like disease. Published in Nature Microbiology, the work from Georgia State University’s Plemper lab showed that dosing before or after exposure prevented transmission and reduced clinical symptoms in the canine distemper virus model. The researchers also reported shortened infectious windows after treatment, positioning the candidate as a potential add-on to ring vaccination strategies. With the U.S. recording the highest measles case count since 2000 amid waning vaccination, the data reinforce the urgency of transmission-focused antivirals for outbreak containment.