The drug is not approved to prevent outbreaks in people with immune problems such as AIDS, but the FDA said in June it could be used on a short-term basis to treat outbreaks in such patients. An expert not involved in the research said famciclovir is good news, even though it can cost more than double the other drugs. You have choices now, said the expert, Dr. Jeffrey P. Engel, associate professor of medicine at East Carolina University School of Medicine. N.C. But options are always desirable, because effectiveness can vary with individuals, he said. Herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the country, infecting approximately one of every five adults.
Many people never know they have it.
Other people may suffer genital sores that blister, break and scab several times a year. In the study, patients taking famciclovir stayed free from outbreaks about nine months longer than patients taking a placebo, who typically had outbreaks in 47 days, said researchers led by Dr. Francisco Diaz-Mitoma of Children s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. The study involved 455 men and women with recurrent genital herpes at 30 medical centers in Canada and Europe. The Tennessean A Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper Use of this site signifies that you agree to our terms of service.