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Herpes Drugs Won't Raise Birth Defect Risk, Study Finds
Posted 25 Aug 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 24 – Pregnant women who take antiviral drugs against the herpes virus should not worry that their use will cause birth defects, Danish researchers report. More than 1 percent of women develop herpes simplex during the first trimester of pregnancy. And while the use during pregnancy of antiviral drugs such as acyclovir (Zovirax), valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir (Famvir) are believed to be safe, data on their use in early pregnancy has been limited, the researchers noted. But the new analysis suggests that "pregnant women needing treatment for a herpes infection in the first trimester can use antivirals without concern about birth defect risk," said lead researcher Dr. Bjorn Pasternak, from the department of epidemiology research at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen. Acyclovir was the most commonly used antiviral, and should be the antiviral drug of choice in ... Read more
Related support groups: Valtrex, Acyclovir, Zovirax, Valacyclovir, Famciclovir, Famvir
Herpes Drug Might Also Slow HIV Progression
Posted 15 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Feb. 15 – New research suggests that people who are infected with both HIV-1, a strain of the AIDS virus, and herpes simplex virus type 2 could benefit in more than one way by taking a herpes drug called acyclovir. In addition to treating herpes, the medication appears to also slow the progression of HIV. "While the HIV-disease ameliorating effect we have observed is modest, it could add one more tool to help people with HIV infection stay healthy for longer," study co-author Dr. Jairam Lingappa, of the University of Washington, said in a news release from The Lancet. The study, published online in the journal, analyzed what happened to almost 3,400 people in Africa who were infected with both diseases. Half were assigned to take 400 milligrams of acyclovir twice a day, and the others took a placebo. Researchers tracked their progress for up to 24 months. The risk of HIV ... Read more
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Herpes Simplex, Herpes Simplex -- Suppression, Herpes Zoster, Herpes Simplex, Mucocutaneous/Immunocompetent Host, Herpes Simplex Encephalitis, Varicella-Zoster, Herpes Simplex, Mucocutaneous/Immunocompromised Host