Deuremidevir Hydrobromide (VV116) is a Promising Antiviral against Human Metapneumovirus

• VV116 shows significant inhibitory activity against hMPV (EC 50 = 0.79 μM) in vitro . • Oral VV116 reduces viral RNA loads and improves lung pathology in hMPV-infected mice. • VV116 holds promise for hMPV treatment, an area lacking approved therapy. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a major respiratory pathogen for which no specific antiviral therapy is approved. In this study, we evaluated the anti-hMPV activity of the oral nucleoside analog VV116. In vitro , VV116 strongly inhibited hMPV replication in LLC-MK2 cells, with a half-maximal effective concentration (EC 50 ) of 0.79 μM and a high selectivity index (SI) > 159. In hMPV-infected mice, oral administration of VV116 significantly reduced viral loads in lung and nasal turbinate tissues in a dose-dependent manner and ameliorated virus-induced lung pathology. Our findings provide the first report of the remarkable anti-hMPV activity of VV116, supporting its therapeutic promise and warranting further clinic application.