Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: Discovery of orally administered nucleoside drug VV116 shows high efficacy in inhibiting Nipah virus.

In January 2026, there was another epidemic in West Bengal, India and surrounding areas, with deaths reported and nearly a hundred close contacts quarantined. Recently, research teams led by Dr. Xia Gengfu/Zhang Leiduo from the Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Shan Chao, in collaboration with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and Wanshan Wangshui Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., published an important research paper titled "The oral nucleoside drug VV116 is a promising candidate for treating Nipah virus infection" in the international journal Emerging Microbes & Infections. This study confirmed that the oral nucleoside drug VV116 has significant antiviral activity against the Nipah virus, bringing new hope for the prevention and treatment of this highly lethal emerging infectious disease. This research for the first time demonstrates the potential of VV116 in treating the Nipah virus, not only as a prophylactic medication for high-risk groups such as healthcare workers and laboratory personnel, but also as a ready-made drug option for addressing current and future Nipah virus outbreaks.