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DoxyPep 100mg
Post-exposure prophylaxis to help prevent bacterial STIs.
- Take Within 72 Hours
- Cuts Bacterial STI Risk
- Simple As-Needed Dose
Metronidazole 500mg
Antibiotic for bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis.
- Treats BV & Trich
- Proven Antibiotic
- Short Treatment Course
Valacyclovir 500mg
Antiviral that controls and suppresses herpes outbreaks.
- Controls Outbreaks
- Daily Suppression Option
- Reduces Transmission
Pritelivir is a new drug for treatment of herpes. Results look promising, but people with herpes already have treatment options available in the form of antiviral drugs.
Herpes is caused by one of two viruses: HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Generally, HSV-2 is the one associated with genital herpes, although either strain of the virus can cause cold sores around the mouth as well as genital herpes. Nearly 60% of Americans are infected by HSV-1, while around 16% of Americans are infected with HSV-2. The majority of people with genital herpes don’t know they have the virus, or display no physical symptoms, which usually consist of small, painful blistering sores. Some people experience a single outbreak of sores, and never have another. Still others experience multiple outbreaks, and when the virus is active, it can easily be transmitted to another person through intimate contact.
An experimental drug called pritelivir has shown promise in dramatically shortening the duration of herpes outbreaks and could significantly cut down on transmission of the virus.
What Did the Phase I Study of Pritelivir Show?
The results of a pritelivir study led by researchers from the University of Washington were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the study, 156 patients with genital HSV-2 were treated either with a placebo or one of four different dosages of pritelivir for 28 days. The dosages tried were:
- Initial 20 mg dose followed by daily dose of 5 mg
- Initial 100 mg dose followed by daily dose of 25 mg
- Initial dose of 300 mg followed by daily dose of 75 mg
- Weekly dose of 400 mg
Patients kept written records of their signs and symptoms and were regularly tested for virus quantity and shedding of the virus. The daily 75 mg dose was the most effective, reducing the number of days of viral shedding by 87%. When “breakthrough” shedding of the virus occurred, patients receiving pritelivir shed much lower levels of the virus than those treated with placebo. Patients taking the placebo reported genital lesions on 9% of days, while those on pritelivir reported lesions on only 1.2% of days.
How Does Pritelivir Work?
Pritelivir is not a cure for HSV-2, but it appears to significantly shorten the severity and duration of outbreaks. Current antiviral drugs for HSV inhibit viral replication by inhibiting a viral enzyme called HSV DNA polymerase. Pritelivir, however targets the helicase-primase enzyme complex, which is a different part of HSV’s replication apparatus. So while pritelivir does something similar to current antiviral drugs, it does so by attacking a different mechanism of action of the virus. This could offer hope to people who have not had satisfactory results with current antiviral drugs.
What’s Next for Pritelivir?
Further clinical trials for pritelivir are on hold at the moment. Although the researchers involved in the study reported no significant side effects, it was a small, short-term study. In May of 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended work on pritelivir after research in primates revealed blood and skin abnormalities. The University of Washington researchers say they don’t understand why the FDA suspended the work, because blood and skin effects were not observed in humans. If work on the drug is restarted, further clinical trials will be required before the drug can be submitted for FDA approval.
People with HSV Have Antiviral Options Already
People who have herpes are not without good options, however. Current antiviral drugs for genital herpes include acyclovir (trade name Zovirex), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and famciclovir (Famvir). These drugs help prevent replication of the virus by inhibiting HSV DNA polymerase, and they shorten the duration and severity of outbreaks. These drugs have been around for a long time and have a strong track record for effectiveness and safety. What researchers would ultimately like to see, is a drug that can eliminate dormant HSV from the nerve cells where the virus resides when it’s in remission. However, even if pritelivir is approved, it will not be able to do this.
If you have genital herpes, you are far from alone, and you have good treatment options. eDrugstore.com sells acyclovir, Valtrex, and Famvir, through US-licensed pharmacists with fast, dependable shipping, so you can treat your outbreak as quickly as possible. eDrugstore.com is HIPAA-compliant, and adheres to the highest standards of customer privacy and online ordering security.
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