As US measles cases rise, biotech firms start developing new treatments

Measles cases in the United States have reached a thirty-five-year high, driven by declining vaccination rates. Ars Technica reports that biotech companies and academic research groups are developing new treatments—both for those already infected and for short-term protection of vulnerable individuals. Large outbreaks in South Carolina and Utah have fueled the surge: the country had already surpassed twenty-two hundred eighty-nine cases by July, compared to just two hundred eighty-five in all of 2024. Yet new treatments are likely years away, and there's uncertainty whether those who refuse vaccines would accept alternative medical interventions.

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