Herpes drug tested in Houston shows promise
Scientists are reporting positive results with a new kind of drug to combat genital herpes, the first new treatment possibility in decades for the sexually transmitted disease that afflicts an estimated 50 million Americans.
In a study conducted in Houston and six other sites, researchers found that a daily 75-milligram dosage of the drug dramatically reduced the virus's ability to replicate and spread. There wasn't a comparable benefit from a placebo.
"This study represents a major a step forward in herpes research," said Dr. Stephen Tyring, a professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the head of the research effort here. "The drug is still a few years from the market, but it should be a boon to the many people for whom existing therapy has lost effectiveness."
Dr. Anna Wald, a University of Washington virologist/epidemiologist and the lead author of the study, said she was most impressed by how potent the experimental drug proved to be. She said researchers are increasingly finding the existing drugs for herpes don't significantly reduce viral shedding, when herpes is most transmissible to sexual partners.
More at http://www.chron.com/news/health/article/Herpes-drug-tested-in-Houston-shows-promise-5146515.php?cmpid=hpbn .