Towards a combined post-exposure prophylaxis and successful treatment of rabies in humans

The ToRRENT project will provide proof of concept in animals of a new post-exposure treatment (PET) of rabies based on a novel combined prophylactic/therapeutic approach. It represents a unique opportunity for a major paradigm shift in rabies in which a new treatment combining antiviral drugs with immunotherapy could substitute the current PEP approach and/or could be used in a therapeutic setting. The antiviral molecules that will be explored and optimized in this program are both small molecules and biomolecules (antibodies). The patient population includes nearly 59,000 people dying of rabies and 17 million people receiving PEP annually. However, the true burden of rabies-related lyssaviruses in developing countries is unknown and largely under-diagnosed.