NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) said it is advancing its measles drug development program with a new animal trial to evaluate its antiviral candidate NV-387.
The company has commissioned a study using specially modified mice that express the human SLAM/CD150 protein, a key receptor the measles virus uses to infect cells.
The trial will begin once the animals arrive and are acclimatized, according to a statement from the company.
“NV-387 actually cured lethal RSV infection in animals, and measles is a cousin of RSV,” said Anil Diwan, president and executive chairman of NanoViricides. “This gives us confidence that NV-387 will have strong activity against measles virus as well.”
NV-387 is a clinical-stage broad-spectrum antiviral designed to mimic human cell surfaces and neutralize viruses by targeting common binding features, particularly sulfated proteoglycans, used by over 90% of human pathogenic viruses, the company said.
There is currently no approved antiviral treatment for measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently included Vitamin A as part of supportive care and recommended ribavirin—a toxic nucleoside analog—in extreme cases.
NanoViricides said the ongoing spread of measles, combined with declining vaccination rates and increasing vaccine failures, highlights an urgent need for therapeutic alternatives. The CDC reported 1,088 confirmed US Measles cases across 33 jurisdictions so far in 2025, while European cases surged 10-fold to over 35,000 in 2024.
Declining vaccination coverage and emerging measles genotypes, particularly D8, may be reducing vaccine effectiveness, according to public health data cited by the company.
“In this global scenario, NV-387… could perhaps be the only currently available drug candidate to combat the measles virus and disease,” the company said.
Shares of NanoViricides gained 4% on Wednesday morning to reach $1.56 in New York.