BACKGROUND A phase 2 trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a topical antiviral, sorivudine, as an adjuvant to valacyclovir for the treatment of acute herpes zoster. METHODS In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, 25 patients were treated with either sorivudine or placebo cream. All patients began 7 days of valacyclovir treatment on day 3. Zoster lesion swab sampl...

Impurity profiling has become an important phase of pharmaceutical research where both spectroscopic and chromatographic methods find applications. The analytical methodology needs to be very sensitive, specific, and precise which will separate and determine the impurity of interest at the 0.1% level. Current research reports a validated RP-HPLC method to detect and separate valacyclovir-relate...

BACKGROUND Eczema herpeticum is a rare, severe, and disseminated infection of herpes simplex virus in the setting of eczematous skin diseases. METHODS We experienced a case of this disease in a 9-month-old infant characterized by a sudden onset of monomorphic vesicles on the head, right lower leg, and two hands. The infant has a 7-month history of atopic dermatitis and his condition was initi...

Electrochemical sensors and biosensors have attracted considerable attention for the sensitive detection of a variety of biological and pharmaceutical compounds. Since the discovery of carbon-based nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes, C60 and graphene, they have garnered tremendous interest for their potential in the design of high-performance electrochemical sensor platforms due to their...

A specific, accurate, precise and sensitive validated reversed phase liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of valacyclovir in the presence of its degradation products in bulk drug as well as tablet dosage form. As per ICH guideline Q1A (R2), drug was subjected to all stress conditions such as hydrolysis (acidic, neutral and alkaline), oxidation (3 % H2O2 v/v), p...

QUESTION One of my patients is a pregnant woman in her first trimester with a history of recurrent genital herpes. She is concerned about whether use of her antiviral medication will adversely affect her baby. What should I tell her? ANSWER Studies have shown that the use of acyclovir or valacyclovir is not associated with an increase in birth defects. Limited data exist for famciclovir and t...