Single-day therapy: an expert opinion on a recent development for the episodic treatment of recurrent genital herpes.
One common method for treating recurrent genital herpes outbreaks is 3-5 day episodic therapy with nucleoside analogues. However, since maximum viral replication occurs within 24 h after the onset of symptoms, short-term patient-initiated episodic therapy started at prodromal onset or at the first appearance of lesions in patients without a prodrome may represent an important option. In a recent randomized trial, single-day famciclovir treatment decreased lesion healing time and the duration of pain and other symptoms by approximately 2 days compared to placebo, and prevented progression to a full outbreak in almost one in four patients. Because single-day treatment is more convenient than traditional therapies, it may lead to improved patient compliance and better overall management of recurrent genital herpes outbreaks.
Tyring
Stephen
S
Department of Dermatology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, 2060 Space Park Drive, Suite 200, Houston, TX 77058, USA. styring@ccstexas.com
Richwald
Gary
G
Hamed
Kamal
K
D015075:2-Aminopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D000077595:Famciclovir; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012008:Recurrence; D012646:Self Administration; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015075:2-Aminopurine; D000077595:Famciclovir