As tick season begins to ramp up, some of the state’s medical professionals are sharing their progress on a drug that could prevent people from getting Lyme disease.
Dr. Mark Klempner, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts Medical School came to the statehouse on Thursday to discuss the status of Lyme disease in Massachusetts.
He shared his research into prevention methods while discussing the medication he’s working on that is unlike anything else on the market.
Instead of developing a vaccine, the researchers want to interrupt the path the Lyme bacteria takes while it’s still inside the tick.
Through an antibody that is currently being tested on Lyme- infected animals like mice and birds, medical professionals hope to stop the infection from ever leaving the tick.
There has been a lot of speculation over Lyme disease prevention methods and many people worry that the human body will reject the drug.
“This particular bacteria I’m quite confident that they will not develop resistance to this medicine once it’s proven to be effective,” Dr. Klempner said.
Dr. Klempner said there is still more testing to do, but if all of the clinical trials run smoothly he hopes the medication will hit the market by 2022.
Medical professionals said the best way to prevent Lyme disease is to check your body for ticks on a regular basis.
Find 22News on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; send your news tips to reportit@wwlp.com.
