Acute Phase Treatment

When an outbreak first occurs, antiviral medications can help treat the symptoms and speed up the healing process. The most commonly prescribed antivirals for HSV infections are acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir. They work by interfering with the virus's ability to replicate itself and spread to other cells. For mild outbreaks, topical forms of these antivirals applied directly to lesions are generally recommended for oral or genital sores. For more severe symptoms or frequent recurrences, oral antiviral pills are prescribed. Promptly starting antiviral treatment at the very first signs of an outbreak, such as tingling, itching or pain, makes them even more effective.

Suppressive Therapy

For those who experience recurrent outbreaks (six or more episodes per year),  Herpes Simplex Virus Treatment  therapy may be recommended. The goal is to reduce severity and frequency of future outbreaks. Suppressive treatment is especially important for those with frequent recurrences as it also lowers the risk of transmission to partners. Acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir are the oral antiviral medications used. While taking daily antivirals, some people may still have occasional mild recurrences. Suppressive therapy must be taken indefinitely to maintain its benefits.

Newer Therapies

Research is ongoing to develop more effective HSV treatments. Pritelivir is an experimental drug that shows promise as a potential new oral and topical antiviral therapy. It directly inhibits the HSV DNA polymerases and has demonstrated positive results against both HSV-1 and HSV-2 in early clinical trials. Another potential future treatment is T-VEC, an injectable oncolytic immunotherapy currently approved for melanoma. Preliminary studies found it may help activate the body's own antiviral responses against HSV-2 genital infections when given intravenously or intralesionally.

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