Valtrex

(valacyclovir GlaxoSmithKline)

A shorter course (3 days) of therapy of the antiviral for treating recurrent episodes of genital herpes. Previously, a 5-day course of the antiviral was approved for this indication.

* Recommended Dosage: 500 mg twice a day for 3 days.

* Special Considerations: Side effects are extremely uncommon with the 3-day course as well as with the 5-day course, said Dr. Stephen Tyring, professor of internal medicine, dermatology, and microbiology/immunology at the University of Texas, Galveston.

* Comment: Dr. Tyring was one of the investigators in a randomized, double-blind study that compared 3-day and 5-day courses of 500 mg of Valtrex twice per day in treating recurrent episodes of genital herpes in otherwise healthy adults who had at least three to four outbreaks a year. The patients started taking the drug at the first sign of an outbreak and were evaluated daily during each outbreak.

There were no differences in the duration of outbreaks, viral shedding, or signs and symptoms between patients who received 3 days of Valtrex followed by 2 days of a placebo and those who received the full 5-day course.

These data indicate that the time at which treatment is started, not the duration of therapy is probably the most important element of treatment, Dr. Tyring said. If treatment is initiated, early, at the first sign of an ulcer or vesicle, the duration of the outbreak can be shortened; the outbreak can even be aborted if treatment is started as early as the prodromal stage, at which time patients may experience symptoms like tingling, he added.

"This is a marked step forward in terms of convenience," and it saves money said Dr. Tyring, who is a consultant to GlaxoSmithKline and serves on the company's speakers' bureau. Suppressive therapy with daily medication remains appropriate for people who have more frequent or more severe outbreaks and for those who have a partner who does not have genital herpes, he noted.

COPYRIGHT 2001 International Medical News Group
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group