Single-day treatment for orolabial and genital herpes: a brief review of pathogenesis and pharmacology

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is a highly prevalent condition responsible for signifi cant morbidity and occasional mortality each year. Approximately half of all patients infected by HSV will experience at least one recurrence in their lifetime. For these recurrences, traditional therapy has included both suppressive and episodic treatment with nucleoside analogs. In regards to episodic treatment, 2-to 5-day oral regimens are best studied and most commonly reported. As with any medical condition having a well-understood mechanism of action and targeted treatment, therapeutic intervention is only as effective as allowed by patient compliance. Based on these concerns, recent studies have focused on shorter, less complicated, and more affordable options. This review delineates the evidence for single-day treatments of orolabial and genital herpes. Randomized, double-blind studies of both valacyclovir and famciclovir as single-day episodic therapy for HSV have been reported in the literature. Although no headto-head studies between the drugs have been performed, both regimens produced signifi cant improvement in healing time and symptom resolution over placebo. Single-day therapy for HSV infection is appealing for multiple reasons. First, it simplifi es the regimen, increasing likelihood of patient compliance. Additionally, it allows complete delivery of the medication at the onset of symptoms, when viral replication is highest and intervention has greatest effect. Lastly, the reduced number of pills necessary for single versus multiple day therapy decreases the overall cost of treatment per episode, an important factor in modern-day healthcare.

Trends and strategies to combat viral infections: A review on FDA approved antiviral drugs

“…Currently, docosanol remains the only non-prescription medication to treat cold sores and fever blisters. In addition, 1% penciclovir (Denavir) and 5% acyclovir (Zovirax) creams are the two available prescription topical agents [ 101 ]. The acyclic guanosine analogues, famciclovir (Famvir), valacyclovir hydrochloride (Valtrex) and penciclovir (Denavir) were the oral antiviral drugs approved for the treatment of orolabial herpes and genital herpes infections [ [101] , [102] , [103] ].…”

Seroprevalence and characterisation of herpes simplex virus from human immunodeficiency virus in samples collected from two provinces in South Africa: a retrospective study

“…The routes of transmission of HSV are responsible for its differentiation into two types; herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) ( Looker et al ., 2008 ; Schiffer et al ., 2014 ). HSV-1 is transmitted orally and it is the cause of blisters and sores around the mouth, while HSV-2 is sexually transmitted and it is traditionally associated with blisters or ulcers around the genitals ( Grinde, 2013 ; Modi et al ., 2008 ). Conversely, most HSV infections are asymptomatic, a factor that is partly responsible for the high prevalence of HSV infection worldwide.…”