Comparison of Herpes Antiviral Drugs

Antiviral drugs for herpes treatment

Brief history

Mechanism of action

Indications and uses

Efficacy

Side effects

Pharmacokinetics

Comparison table

Cost & generic availability

Conclusions

Antiviral drugs for herpes treatment

The major drugs developed to work against herpes simplex virus (HSV) are antiviral agents called
nucleosides and nucleotide analogues, which block viral reproduction. They include acyclovir,
valacyclovir, and famciclovir. All three oral antiviral drugs are very effective and reasonably safe. These
medications differ in their chemical structure, dosage, and price.
The antiviral medications available in pill form acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir have been specifically
developed for the treatment of genital herpes. They stop the growth of the herpes simplex virus. Antiviral
medications may significantly lessen the severity of a primary outbreak and reduce the time it takes
genital herpes outbreaks to heal. The medication also decreases the number of days of painful symptoms
and for some people, the number of days you can spread the virus. Antiviral medication is most effective if
it is taken when you first notice the prodromal symptoms (tingling and pain) of a recurrent genital herpes
outbreak and if they are taken for the next 5 to 7 days or until symptoms go away. Some people with
frequent recurrent outbreaks (more than 6 recurrences a year) take antiviral medication every day
(suppressive therapy) to help reduce the frequency and duration of recurrent outbreaks. Antiviral
medication can reduce the number of outbreaks by 70% to 80%.

Brief history

Acyclovir (brand name Zovirax) is the oldest of the antiviral medications. It has been available since 1982
in a topical form (as an ointment) and sold since 1985 in pill form. Now acyclovir is available in a generic
form. Acyclovir is the only antiviral medication available for intravenous administration.
More recently, the FDA approved two other drugs to treat genital herpes: Famciclovir (brand name
Famvir) and Valacyclovir (brand name Valtrex).
Valtrex (valacyclovir) was the second antiviral medication to come to market in the United States, and it
was approved by the FDA in December 15, 1995. Valtrex is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. Valtrex is
a prodrug of acyclovir, meaning that the body converts it to acyclovir after it has been absorbed. This
medication delivers acyclovir more efficiently so that the body absorbs much of the drug, which has the
advantage of taking the medication fewer times during the day.
Famvir (famciclovir) is a prodrug and is manufactured by Novartis. When taken, the body converts it to the
long acting antiviral drug penciclovir. Like valacyclovir, it is well absorbed, persists for a longer time in the
body, and can be taken less frequently than acyclovir.

Mechanism of action
Antiviral agents reduce viral replication by inhibiting viral DNA synthesis, needed to reproduce itself. This
helps to keep the virus inactive, or "sleeping".
Acyclovir and penciclovir have a similar mechanism of antiviral action against HSV. Both compounds are
selectively phosphorylated only within virus-infected cells by viral thymidine kinase (TK). Further
phosphorylation by cellular enzymes leads to the production of acyclovir or penciclovir triphosphate, both
of which compete with the natural nucleotide, dGTP, resulting in the selective inhibition of viral DNA
polymerase. Incorporation of the analogue triphosphate into the growing DNA chain prevents continued
extension of the DNA chain.
However, there are several differences in the mode of acyclovir and penciclovir. Herpes virus thymidine
kinase is expressed in productively infected cells. Penciclovir has a higher affinity for HSV TK than
acyclovir (2), and consequently the levels of penciclovir triphosphate in infected cells are much higher
than the levels of acyclovir triphosphate. Penciclovir triphosphate is more stable than acyclovir
triphosphate in HSV-infected cells (3), resulting in a longer intracellular half-life. HSV DNA polymerases
have a higher affinity for acyclovir triphosphate than for penciclovir triphosphate (3). This distinction is
counterbalanced by the difference in phosphorylation favoring penciclovir: the net effect is that the two
compounds have similar antiviral potencies. Acyclovir triphosphate is an obligate DNA chain terminator,
whereas penciclovir triphosphate allows limited DNA chain elongation (short-chain terminator). (1)

Approved indications and uses

Acyclovir (Zovirax) is indicated for:

treatment of initial episodes and the management of recurrent episodes of genital herpes
treatment of initial genital herpes: 200 mg every 4 hours, 5 times daily for 10 days.

chronic suppressive therapy for recurrent disease: 400 mg 2 times daily for up to 12
months,
followed
by
re-evaluation.
Alternative regimens have included doses ranging from 200 mg 3 times daily to 200 mg 5 times daily.
intermittent therapy: 200 mg every 4 hours, 5 times daily for 5 days.
Therapy should be initiated at the earliest sign or symptom (prodrome) of recurrence.

acute treatment of herpes zoster (shingles)

treatment of chickenpox (varicella)

Valacyclovir (Valtrex) is indicated for:

treatment or suppression of genital herpes and for the suppression of recurrent genital herpes
treatment of initial genital herpes: 1 gram twice daily for 10 days.
Therapy was most effective when administered within 48 hours of the onset of signs and symptoms.
There are no data on the effectiveness of treatment with Valtrex when initiated more than 72 hours after
the onset of signs and symptoms.
treatment of recurrent genital herpes: 500 mg twice daily for 3 days.
If medical management of a genital herpes recurrence is indicated, patients should be advised to initiate
therapy at the first sign or symptom of an episode. There are no data on the effectiveness of treatment
with Valtrex when initiated more than 24 hours after the onset of signs or symptoms.
chronic suppressive therapy of recurrent genital herpes: 1 gram once daily in
patients with normal immune function. In patients with a history of 9 or fewer recurrences per year, an
alternative dose is 500 mg once daily. The safety and efficacy of therapy with Valtrex beyond 1 year have
not been established.
reduction of transmission of genital herpes
reduction of transmission of genital herpes in patients with a history of 9 or fewer
recurrences per year: 500 mg once daily for the source partner. Patients should be counseled to use
safer sex practices in combination with suppressive therapy with Valtrex. The efficacy of reducing
transmission beyond 8 months in discordant couples has not been established.

treatment of herpes zoster (shingles)

treatment of cold sores (herpes labialis)

Famciclovir (Famvir) is indicated for:

treatment or suppression of recurrent genital herpes

recurrent genital herpes: 125 mg twice daily for 5 days. Initiate therapy at the first sign
or symptom if medical management of a genital herpes recurrence is indicated. The efficacy of Famvir
has not been established when treatment is initiated more than 6 hours after onset of symptoms or
lesions.

suppression of recurrent genital herpes: 250 mg twice daily for up to 1 year. The
safety and efficacy of Famvir therapy beyond 1 year of treatment have not been established.

treatment of acute herpes zoster (shingles)

treatment of cold sores (herpes labialis)

Efficacy
Clinical studies have not found any significant differences in effectiveness among the three medications.
All are quite safe, very rarely producing any side effects at all. All work by disrupting the virus's
reproductive ability.
All three of these oral antiviral drugs can be taken either episodically - when a person has an outbreak or
feels one coming on, or suppressively - daily to help prevent the recurrence of outbreaks.
For the treatment of first genital herpes infections, oral acyclovir or valacyclovir is preferable to
famciclovir. The efficacy of famciclovir for initial episode genital herpes infection has not been established.
For the treatment of recurrent infections, clinical trials have demonstrated that acyclovir, valacyclovir, and
famciclovir have equivalent efficacy.
Intravenous acyclovir is used to treat serious flare-ups or outbreaks that effect internal organs.

Adverse reactions and side effects

All these agents are well tolerated and have excellent safety records. Possible side effects from oral
agents include nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, tremor, and very rarely, seizures. They can affect the
kidney, however, and people with kidney problems should use them with caution and at lower doses.
Intravenous administration increases the risk for kidney problems and can cause blood clots at the
injection site. In rare cases, it can cause central nervous system complications.
For more detailed information about differences in side effects see Herpes antiviral drugs comparison
table.

Pharmacokinetics
Acyclovir. It has poor bioavailability of about 20% and a short half life, which necessitates frequent
dosing. Acyclovir speeds healing of lesions and suppress viral shedding if taken within 24 hours of the
first indication of a recurrent episode. Early treatment may even prevent the development of lesions in
some patients.
Valacyclovir. Valacyclovir provides a unique mechanism of enhancing the oral bioavailability of the
parent compound, acyclovir. Valacyclovir is a prodrug converted to acyclovir in the intestine and liver. It
has better bioavailability (about 55%) and has a longer duration of action than acyclovir. The main
advantage of valacyclovir is higher concentration of acyclovir in the bloodstream without added toxicity.

Thus, valacyclovir requires less frequent dosing than acyclovir. It is available in a one-day regimen for oral
herpes, a once-daily dose to suppress genital herpes, and a three-day treatment for recurrent herpes.
Valacyclovir is most effective if taken within 24 hours of the first signs of an outbreak.
When used as an episodic treatment, valacyclovir can help the sores heal faster, shorten the period of
pain during the outbreak and cut down the time during which the virus is detected on genital skin surfaces
(virus shedding). When taken as soon as the first signs of an outbreak are noticed, such as tingling,
itching or redness, valacyclovir may be able to completely prevent the development of painful blisters.
Famciclovir. Famciclovir is a prodrug for the active metabolite penciclovir. Famciclovir is converted into
its active compound within the infected cell by contact with an enzyme from the virus. It has high
bioavailability of 77%. It remains active in the body longer than acyclovir (half the dose is still active after
10 to 20 hours) and, like valacyclovir, requires less frequent dosing (usually two or three times a day). It is
most effective if taken within six hours of onset of symptoms.