Clinical-stage biotechnology company SynAct Pharma AB (STO:SYNACT) said on Wednesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified resomelagon as one of six dengue therapeutic candidates with evidence supporting further clinical development.

The WHO review, published in Lancet Microbe, identified six candidates with sufficient efficacy data for inclusion in its advanced dengue treatment landscape, with resomelagon the only host-directed therapy among the selected programs.

SynAct is evaluating the once-daily oral therapy in the Phase 2 RESOVIR-2 study in Brazil, with reduction in symptom duration as the primary endpoint. Results from Part 1 are expected in 2026, pending regulatory feedback.

The WHO's preferred profile for non-severe dengue treatments emphasizes oral administration, a strong safety profile, broad patient applicability, reduced symptom burden and prevention of progression to severe disease.

SynAct said resomelagon's oral small-molecule profile aligns with these requirements and could support broad outpatient use.

The WHO reported more than 14 million dengue cases in 2024, the highest number on record, with dengue endemic in more than 100 countries and nearly half the global population at risk.