Antiviral drugs for treatment and prevention of herpes infection in the year 2000

Major developments in the two last decades have improved the diagnosis and the treatment of Herpes Simplex Virus infection.Aciclovir was the first effective antiherpetic drug available. Afterwards other drugs have been developed either with a better bioavailability or with an activity against aciclovir-resistant strains. Although there is at present no effective vaccine or drug capable of eradicating established infection, these antiviral drugs are able to shorten the course and decrease severity of symptomatic episodes in both normal and immunocompromised patients. Moreover in patients with frequently recurrent herpes a suppressive therapy will suppress episodes or decrease their frequency. The ongoing therapeutic research, beside the development of new drugs inhibiting viral replication, concerns the strengthening of specific immune response which should lead to the development of effective therapeutic and preventive vaccines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]