Therapeutic Options for Herpes Simplex Infections Eugene Au and Stephen L
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Therapeutic Options for Herpes Simplex Infections Eugene Au and Stephen L. Sacks, MD Address Herpes simplex virus initiates infection through direct Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The University of contact with mucosal surfaces or abraded skin. Following British Columbia, Viridae Clinical Sciences Inc.,1134 Burrard Street, infection, the virus is transported to the dorsal root gan- Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y8. E-mail: [email protected] glion, where latent infection is established. Stimuli such as stress, fever, and exposure to ultraviolet light can cause Current Infectious Disease Reports 2003, 5:22–27 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1523-3847 reactivation from latency, upon which active infection Copyright © 2003 by Current Science Inc. occurs near the point of entry into the host [5•]. Signs of recurrent infection may include a prodrome of pain, burn- Herpes simplex viruses are responsible for a number of dis- ing, tingling, or discomfort, which precede the develop- ease states in infected individuals. Capable of establishing ment of classic herpes lesions characterized by vesicle latent infection, herpes simplex can reactivate, causing pain, formation on a red patch of skin. Classically, vesicular discomfort, and psychosocial consequences. Because no lesions evolve into erosions, although atypical presenta- cure is available, treatment modalities for herpes simplex tions are common [2]. infection are required, from both personal and public health There is no known cure for herpes simplex infections. standpoints. To date, therapy has centered around the use As the incidence of infection continues to rise, and with of antiviral drugs to control infection and suppress recur- mounting evidence that HSV-2 is a significant cofactor in rences. To expand the scope of available treatments, efforts the transmission of HIV, it may be imperative to develop have focused on the development of vaccines against her- new therapeutic options for HSV disease. This review dis- pes simplex virus and new agents such as immune response cusses the use of antiviral drugs currently used in episodic modifiers. Recent data suggest that these new agents are and suppressive therapy. In the immunocompromised promising in their therapeutic potential. host, use of antivirals may play a role in the selection of drug-resistant HSV, and therapies for resistant virus strains are discussed. In addition, vaccines against HSV are consid- ered, as well as topical treatment modalities and other Introduction potential targets for HSV chemotherapy. The Herpesviridae family, officially designated as human herpes viruses 1 through 8 (HHV-1 through HHV-8), con- sists of eight viruses capable of producing pathogenic Antivirals in the Treatment of Herpes infection in humans [1]. HHV-1 and HHV-2 are com- Simplex Infections monly referred to as herpes simplex viruses type 1 and type The major treatment modality for HSV infections is the use 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), respectively. HSV are enveloped, of antiviral nucleoside analogues. Common across this double-stranded DNA viruses distinguished by differences class of medication is the requirement of activation by in clinical and virologic characteristics, including differ- viral-encoded thymidine kinase (TK). The first nucleoside ences in glycoproteins expressed on the viral envelope. It is analogue shown to be effective agent in clinical trials was estimated that up to 85% of the population is seropositive acyclovir. In cells infected with HSV, acyclovir is phospho- for HSV-1 [2], and though this virus is most often associ- rylated to acyclovir monophosphate by TK, and subse- ated with herpes labialis (cold sores), the incidence of her- quently converted to its di- and triphosphate forms pes genitalis (genital herpes) caused by HSV-1 is on the rise through the actions of host cellular enzymes. The active [3]. HSV-2 is the major cause genital herpes, one of the form of the drug is acyclovir triphosphate, which inhibits most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). HSV-encoded DNA polymerase through competition with Despite the efforts aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS deoxyguanosine triphosphate as a substrate for the and other STIs, the prevalence of HSV-2 infection has enzyme. This results in obligate termination of HSV DNA increased, as evidenced by the National Health and Nutri- replication, and thus inhibition of viral growth [6]. Oral tion Examination Surveys (NHANES) II and III, which acyclovir is approved by the US Food and Drug Adminis- showed a 30% increase in HSV-2 seroprevalence [4]. HSV-2 tration (FDA) for the treatment of genital herpes infection. is also associated with neonatal herpes. Primary infection is effectively treated with 200 mg five Therapeutic Options for Herpes Simplex Infections • Au and Sacks 23 times daily for 5 to 10 days, and episodic drug therapy with the presence of a 3' hydroxyl group, whereas acyclovir lacks 200 mg five times daily for 5 days is used for the treatment the 3' hydroxyl group making its chain termination "obli- of recurrent infection [7••]. An alternative regimen recom- gate." It has been shown that the active drug form, penci- mended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clovir triphosphate, is made in excess and has a much (CDC) is 400 mg three times daily for the treatment of longer intracellular half-life (20 hours) than acyclovir both primary and recurrent infections [8]. A 2-day regimen triphosphate (1 hour) in cells infected with HSV-2. How- of acyclovir has also been successfully used for episodic ever, penciclovir triphosphate is proportionally less potent treatment of recurrent infection [9]. For patients with fre- against viral DNA polymerase [20]. A topical 1% cream quent recurrences, 400 mg twice daily is effective in contin- preparation of penciclovir, applied once every 2 hours for 4 uous suppressive therapy of genital herpes [7], although days, is approved by the FDA for the treatment of recurrent dosages of 200 mg two to five times daily have also been herpes labialis. effectively used [10,11]. Acyclovir may also be of minimal Famciclovir, administered at 125 mg twice daily for 5 benefit in the treatment of herpes labialis. Acyclovir is not days, is approved for the episodic treatment of recurrent FDA-approved for treatment of HSV labialis [12–14]. genital herpes. It is also effective in the suppression of Though acyclovir has been demonstrated to be both effec- recurrent infection, approved at a dose of 250 mg twice tive and safe, its inconvenient dosing schedule, which leads daily [7••]. The dosing of famciclovir is often confusing to to issues in compliance, and low bioavailability (approxi- clinicians, but results from the intracellular pharmacoki- mately 15%) have fostered the development of the nucleo- netic advantage in its conversion to its triphosphate. This side prodrugs valaciclovir and famciclovir, which exhibit provides a dosing advantage during active treatment, but improved absorption characteristics. that advantage disappears between active episodes, when Valaciclovir, the 1-valyl ester prodrug of acyclovir, is viral TK is not expressed. The use of famciclovir in the metabolized to L-valine and acyclovir. Its safety and phar- treatment of primary genital herpes infection has been macokinetics are essentially identical to those of acyclovir investigated in clinical studies. It was determined that as the parent nucleoside, but valaciclovir is much better when administered at 250 mg, 500 mg, and 750 mg three absorbed than acyclovir, with an oral bioavailability of times daily for 5 days, famciclovir was as efficacious as about 55%. The peak plasma concentrations of acyclovir acyclovir at doses approved for the treatment of primary achieved are approximately four times greater when valaci- infection [21], and has the practical advantage of reduced clovir is administered in similar doses to acyclovir [15]. dosing frequency. Oral valaciclovir is efficacious in the treatment of genital In assessing the advantages of the antivirals currently herpes, and is indicated for primary (1000 mg twice daily available for the treatment of HSV infection, acyclovir and for 10 days) and recurrent (500 mg twice daily for 3 days) valaciclovir are favored for the potency of acyclovir triphos- infections [7••]. It is also approved for continuous sup- phate, whereas famciclovir has a dosing advantage only pressive therapy of genital herpes at a dosage of 500 mg during episodic therapy due to its long intracellular half- once daily for patients with 10 or fewer recurrences per life. These differences in drug characteristics may be indi- year, and 1000 mg once daily for patients with greater than vidually optimized to select treatment regimens according 10 recurrences annually [7••]. Doses of 250 to 500 mg to each individual’s needs. twice daily have also been shown to be effective in suppres- sive therapy [16,17]. Recent studies have demonstrated the therapeutic Resistance to Antivirals potential of valaciclovir for the treatment of herpes labia- A concern regarding the use of antiviral medications for lis. High-dose valaciclovir at the first prodromal symptom the treatment of HSV infections has been the development for 1 day (2000 mg twice) or 2 days (2000 mg twice on of drug resistance. Strains of HSV that are resistant to acy- the first day, followed by 1000 mg twice on the second clovir have been identified, with a far higher rate of occur- day) was effective in reducing episode duration and rence in immunocompromised individuals (4% to 11%) lesion healing time [18]. It has also been recently compared with the general population (0.4%) [2]. Resis- reported that suppressive valaciclovir therapy is effective tance may be conferred by viral mutations resulting in in reducing transmission of genital herpes among hetero- strains of HSV that are deficient in TK [22], or strains that sexual HSV-2 discordant couples, a significant finding in exhibit altered TK activity without loss of virulence [23]. that it is the first controlled trial demonstrating the ability Strains lacking TK are resistant, but also frequently subviru- of antiviral therapy to reduce sexual transmission of viral lent.