NanoViricides (NYSE-A:NNVC) said on Wednesday that its antiviral candidate NV-387 could play a key role in addressing the growing number of measles cases globally, particularly in industrialized nations including the US, Canada, the UK, and the EU.
The company said NV-387 has shown safety and effectiveness in preclinical studies using humanized mouse models and has completed a Phase I clinical trial with no reported adverse events, supporting its potential as a measles treatment.
NanoViricides added that NV-387 may qualify for Orphan Drug Designation in the US, which would offer development incentives including tax credits and up to seven years of market exclusivity upon approval.
The company also plans to explore a Fast Track designation, which could allow the drug to reach the market based on a successful Phase II trial without a Phase III study.
There is currently no approved antiviral treatment for measles.
Measles has re-emerged as a public health concern globally. In the US, 1,319 cases have been confirmed so far in 2025, surpassing the previous record of 1,274 cases in 2019. Canada has reported more than 3,800 cases, while the European Region recorded over 127,000 cases in 2024 — the highest figure since 1997, according to the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
The company said multiple factors, including vaccine hesitancy, weakened immune systems, and the aging live-attenuated vaccine, are contributing to measles resurgence. Maintaining herd immunity requires a vaccination rate of at least 95%, a threshold that is becoming harder to meet even in developed countries, NanoViricides noted.