Sat Mar 15 17:15:36 UTC 2025: ## HIV Drug Shows Promise Against Chikungunya in Study
**New Delhi, March 16, 2025** – A new study by researchers at IIT Roorkee suggests that efavirenz, a drug currently used to treat HIV/AIDS, could be repurposed to combat chikungunya. The research, published in *ACS Infectious Diseases*, found that efavirenz significantly reduced the viral load of chikungunya in both cell cultures and mouse models.
The study demonstrated that efavirenz inhibited chikungunya virus replication by nearly 99% in cell lines at low concentrations. In mice, treatment with efavirenz led to a significant decrease in viral load, although it also caused increased swelling in the affected limbs, a possible side effect attributed to the drug’s pro-inflammatory action.
Chikungunya, transmitted by *Aedes aegypti* mosquitoes, has seen a resurgence in India since 2006, with over 70,000 confirmed cases in 2024 alone. Currently, there is no approved antiviral treatment for chikungunya.
The IIT Roorkee team, led by Dr. Shailly Tomar, observed that efavirenz was effective during the early stages of chikungunya replication. The researchers also noted that the drug inhibited a related virus, Sindbis virus. Further supporting the findings, the study cited a case of an HIV-positive patient infected with chikungunya who showed improved condition while on an antiretroviral regimen including efavirenz.
While the observed limb swelling warrants further investigation, Dr. Tomar highlighted efavirenz’s potential for repurposing due to its established safety profile and effectiveness against chikungunya in the study. The researchers advocate for further clinical trials to explore efavirenz as a treatment option for chikungunya in humans.
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