Two potential vaccines against infection with herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 make progress toward human trials. For now, the best available treatment for these infections comes from the antiviral agents acyclovir and valacyclovir (Valtrex).
The quest for a vaccine effective against herpes simplex viruses has made some promising steps forward in recent months. Two such vaccine candidates are moving toward human trials in the foreseeable future.
A vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has already proven its efficacy in animal testing with both mice and guinea pigs. Penn’s vaccine candidate is designed to provide protection against the herpes simplex virus 2, which is primarily responsible for genital herpes.
Startup Also Has a Vaccine
Excell Biotech, a Florida-based biotech startup, also has developed a vaccine that it hopes will be effective against both herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2. HSV1 is primarily responsible for cold sores and fever blisters. In late July 2019, the company announced that it was preparing to test its EXD-12 vaccine on guinea pig models.
If Excell’s vaccine is effective against HSV1 and HSV2 infections in animal testing, the next step will be clinical trials with human study participants.
If either or both of the herpes vaccines prove successful in clinical testing, it will be a major step forward in the fight against infections caused by the herpes viruses. At present, no cure is available for herpes simplex infections, which once contracted take up residence in the nerve cells of their human hosts.
How Herpes Viruses Behave
The viruses then alternate between active and dormant phases. The best treatment today comes from a couple of powerful antiviral agents, namely acyclovir and valacyclovir (Valtrex), that can reduce both the frequency and intensity of the viruses’ active phase.
According to 2015-16 data from the National Center for Health Statistics, an agency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infections with HSV1 and HSV2 are widespread in the United States. At that time, roughly 48 percent of all Americans were infected with HSV1, while nearly 12 percent were infected with HSV2.
How Are the Viruses Spread?
Both of these viruses are transmitted through contact with an infected person’s viral lesions and mucosal surfaces, as well as genital and oral secretions.
As noted earlier, work on the University of Pennsylvania’s herpes vaccine is further along than the one being developed at Excell Biotech, having already successfully completed animal testing. A spokesman for Excell Biotech said in July 2019 that the company hoped to be able to begin human trials sometime in 2020.
Availability Still Distant
Even in the best-case scenario, successful clinical testing of these two vaccines would launch them on the long and winding road to eventual Food and Drug Administration approval. Winning FDA approval for major new drugs takes time.
In the meantime, the treatment of choice for men and women infected with the herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 are acyclovir and valacyclovir. These antiviral agents cannot flush these viruses from the body, but they can significantly reduce the incidence and discomfort associated with outbreaks.
Ordering Antivirals Online
If you’re dealing with periodic outbreaks of cold sores, fever blisters, and/or genital herpes, you might be able to save both time and money by ordering acyclovir and valacyclovir (Valtrex) from eDrugstore.com. A longtime online prescription drug service, eDrugstore is based in Tempe, Arizona.
The prices posted at eDrugstore cover not only the medications themselves but a number of added-value services as well. These include free shipping and complimentary online consultations with licensed U.S. physicians. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Sexual Health page.
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