Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, the Health Minister, announced that the Health Ministry is utilizing drug repurposing as a new strategy in the battle against dengue disease.
Collaborating with the Dengue for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), they are currently in the clinical stages of developing this approach.
The main objective of this research is to repurpose existing antiviral drugs for dengue disease, which has four different stereotypes with DENV 1 and DENV 2 being the most prevalent in Malaysia.
One of the drugs being considered for repurposing is Nelfinavir, which has been found to have the same efficacy against dengue as it does against Hepatitis C. The Health Minister mentioned that this method of repurposing licensed drugs for dengue treatment is a cost-effective and strategic approach compared to developing new drugs.
This announcement was made during the Dengue Research Visibility Day 2024 event in Shah Alam, where Dr. Dzulkefly, the Health director-general Dr. Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, and deputy director-general Datuk Dr. Nor Fariza Ngah were present.
The event emphasized the importance of global cooperation in combating dengue, with the ministry’s collaboration with DNDi and other dengue-endemic countries being showcased through the Dengue Alliance, a partnership established in 2022.
The Dengue Alliance is focused on developing affordable and accessible treatments for dengue, working on joint projects, advancing pre-clinical development of new drug candidates, and conducting clinical trials with the goal of bringing cost-effective treatments to fruition within the next five years.
Dr. Dzulkefly expressed hope for the Dengue Alliance to continue their successful efforts, similar to their previous achievements in Hepatitis treatment.
In 2023, the Ministry reported an 86.3% increase in dengue cases compared to the previous year, highlighting the urgency of finding effective treatments for the disease.
