Tapeworm drug may be used to treat Zika

A DRUG used to treat tapeworm could beat the Zika virus, a study claims.

Researchers have discovered existing drugs can treat the virus, including compounds that can both stop Zika from replicating in the body and from damaging the crucial foetal brain cells that lead to birth defects.

The discovery was made by researchers from Florida State University, Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health in the United States.

Professor Hengli Tang, of Florida State University, said: “We focused on compounds that have the shortest path to clinical use. This is a first step toward a therapeutic that can stop transmission of this disease.”

Mr Tang and his colleagues identified two different groups of compounds that could potentially be used to treat Zika – one that stops the virus from replicating, and the other that stops the virus from killing foetal brain cells, also called neuroprogenitor cells.

One of the identified compounds is the basis for a drug called Nicolsamide – an approved drug that showed no danger to pregnant women in animal studies. It is commonly used to treat tapeworm.

Researchers said the drug could be prescribed by a doctor today.