NEJM February 2026 Tecovirimat for the Treatment of Mpox

This clinical study investigated whether the drug tecovirimat, originally approved for smallpox based on animal data, effectively treats human clade II mpox. By comparing a group receiving the medication against a group receiving a placebo, researchers meticulously tracked the time required for skin lesions to heal and for pain to subside. Ultimately, the trial revealed that tecovirimat provided no significant benefit over the placebo in accelerating recovery or reducing viral presence. These findings suggest that while the drug remains a known intervention for related viruses, its clinical efficacy for this specific strain of mpox is not supported by the data.