Randomized Trial to Evaluate Suppressive Effect of High-Dose Acyclovir Versus Once-Daily Valacyclovir on Persons With HSV-2

Conditions

• Genital Herpes

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• acyclovir — DRUG
  800 mg orally three times daily for 7 weeks
• valacyclovir — DRUG
  500 mg orally once daily for 7 weeks

Study Details

The purpose of the research study is to evaluate the effectiveness of high-dose acyclovir compared to valacyclovir for reduction of asymptomatic genital shedding in persons with genital herpes. The study will enroll men and women who are 18 years or older, test positive to HSV-2 (by blood test) and have had a first outbreak of HSV-2 within the past 6 months or have had at least 4 genital herpes outbreaks in the past year. Participants must be HIV negative and willing to stop taking suppressive therapy for HSV for the one week wash out period. (Females only: You must not be pregnant or breast-feeding). Both men and women will be asked to use an effective form of birth control. Involvement in the study will last 15-weeks and you will be asked to visit the clinic every 2-weeks. At each visit, you will be given medication to take daily (either valacyclovir or acyclovir; you will receive both medications at some point during this study). There will be a total of 9 study visits and each visit will last approximately 30 minutes. We will ask that you complete a daily symptom diary and collected daily home swabs 4-times a day, everyday during the study. Each daily home swab will take less than 3 minutes to perform.

Key Dates

Start date

Sep 30, 2006

Status verified

Nov 2021

Primary completion

Dec 31, 2008

Completion

Sep 30, 2011

Study Design

Enrollment

31 participants (actual)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Active Comparator: Standard dose
• Experimental: High-dose

Primary Outcome Measure

Frequency of HSV-2 Total Shedding From the Genital Tract as Measured by PCR, Calculated Using a Per-day Shedding Rate in Participants Treated With High-dose Acyclovir as Compared to Once-daily Valacyclovir. [ Time Frame: 15 weeks ]

Locations (1)

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