title: Herpes labialis treatment with acyclovir 5% modified aqueous cream: a double-blind randomized trial.
abstract: The efficacy of 5% acyclovir in a modified aqueous cream vehicle (ACV-MAC) in the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis was tested in a randomized, double-blind clinical trial with the modified aqueous cream vehicle as a control medication. The ACV-MAC formulation has previously been shown to offer superior cutaneous absorption relative to other topical acyclovir formulations. Treatment was initiated by patients within 1 hour of prodrome in an attempt to maximize clinical impact of this virustatic drug. While the patient group receiving active drug showed a trend toward accelerated healing, no significant differences for lesion or healing characteristics could be measured between the two treatment groups. It is suggested that optimal efficacy of ACV-MAC may be predicated on prophylactic treatment, that is, "trigger"-initiated rather than prodrome-initiated treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Raborn
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: McGaw
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grace
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Percy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samuels
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006560:Herpes Labialis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009824:Ointments; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D009824:Ointments; D000212:Acyclovir