Associated Press: FDA OKs 1st drug to treat smallpox, in case of terror attack
“U.S. regulators Friday approved the first treatment for smallpox — a deadly disease that was wiped out four decades ago — in case the virus is used in a terror attack…” (Johnson, 7/13).

Forbes: FDA Approves TPOXX To Be The 1st Drug For Smallpox
“…[T]he last natural case of smallpox occurred in 1977 and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared smallpox eradicated in 1980. That means that smallpox is not supposed to exist, with the exception of heavily guarded samples…” (Lee, 7/15).

New York Times: Drug to Treat Smallpox Approved by F.D.A., a Move Against Bioterrorism
“…The antiviral pill, tecovirimat, also known as Tpoxx, has never been tested in humans with smallpox … But it was very effective at protecting animals deliberately infected with monkeypox and rabbitpox, two related diseases that can be lethal. It also caused no severe side effects when safety-tested in 359 healthy human volunteers, the FDA said…” (McNeil, 7/13).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

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