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PLATINUM is now closed to recruitment. Thank you to those who participated in the trial.

Background for home page

Help us find a treatment for mpox

Background for home page

PLATINUM is a UK-wide clinical trial testing an antiviral drug called tecovirimat, which might help people with mpox get better more quickly and could shorten the time that they are infectious.

PLATINUM is recruiting participants throughout the UK, and most people with mpox are eligible to join.

Hear from the Chief Investigator, Professor Sir Peter Horby, about the PLATINUM trial

Hear from a patient representative about their mpox experience

Background

In May 2022, cases of mpox were detected in the UK and some other countries where the mpox virus is not normally found, with evidence of it spreading from person to person. Although vaccination may be protective against mpox, at present there is no proven treatment for those with infection.


Tecovirimat is an antiviral drug that was developed to treat illness caused by poxviruses, including mpox. It has been shown to improve recovery from mpox in animals, but because the infection is rare we don’t know if it works in people. It has, however, been given to over 400 healthy people in order to test its safety, with no concerns identified.


Tecovirimat may increase the speed of recovery from mpox, and could reduce the risk of complications or the chance of spreading infection to others. The PLATINUM trial aims to find out whether or not tecovirimat is safe and effective in the treatment of people with mpox who do not need admission to hospital.


For more information on mpox, please click on the links below

Information on mpox from the NHS

Mpox guidance and information from the UKHSA

The Terrence Higgins Trust mpox information page

HIV i-Base mpox Q and A page


On the 28th of November 2022 the World Health Organisation issued a statement recommending that "mpox" replace the term "monkeypox" after a transition period of one year. We recognise that our documentation and the website will need to be updated, and we are making steps towards this.