"These human monoclonal antibodies have potential as candidate antiviral drugs to prevent or treat measles virus infection," the researchers concluded in the paper. Further study, they added, could contribute to "the next generation of vaccines and therapeutics" against measles and related viruses. As with any early-stage research, these animal and lab results remain preliminary until confirmed in human clinical trials.

Who needs a measles antibody drug?

Vaccination remains the primary and most effective way to prevent measles. High vaccination rates once nearly eliminated the disease in the United States. But falling vaccination rates have coincided with a surge in cases — and have left specific groups dangerously exposed.

Millions of people cannot safely receive the current live-virus measles vaccine or cannot gain protection from it. They include:

• Pregnant women
• Infants under 12 months of age, who are too young to be vaccinated
• People whose immune responses are compromised by drugs taken for cancer or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis

These unprotected groups are the focus of Saravir Biopharma's development program, Moss said.

The stakes have grown sharply. Last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported two measles-associated deaths in unvaccinated people — the first such fatalities in the state in 35 years. Since then, two more deaths have been reported there.

How quickly could a treatment reach patients?

Saravir Biopharma co-founded in 2025 by Moss specifically to develop the first monoclonal antibody therapy against measles. Moss, a physician-scientist, has previously led several antiviral and vaccine programs from early-stage research through late-stage clinical trials.

"We're very excited to help develop another countermeasure against measles infections," Moss said, adding that the Vanderbilt antibodies are the most potent he has seen.

He cautioned that the two-year timeline to the clinic depends on funding. "Two years is a conservative estimate," Moss said. "When we get the funding, we think that timeline could be expedited considerably."

The research team moved quickly in response to the worsening outbreak situation. "We fast-tracked this research to discover human antibodies for measles virus because of the emerging outbreaks of infections," said James Crowe Jr., M.D., director of the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics and the paper's corresponding author.

"We're excited to partner with Saravir to bring these medical countermeasures to the clinic to benefit at-risk patients," Crowe said.

Crowe holds the Ann Scott Carell Chair and is a University Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Chemistry at Vanderbilt. His group is internationally known for developing human monoclonal antibodies against a range of pathogenic viruses.

The study, led by Laura S. Handal and colleagues, appears in Cell Reports Medicine (DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.103081). A therapy, if trials succeed, would complement — not replace — vaccination as the main defense against a virus now spreading at levels the country has not seen in decades.