Experimental Drug Shows Promise for Treatment of Genital Herpes

A new drug made by the German pharmaceutical company AiCuris has funded a study in support of an experimental product that could help those suffering from genital herpes. As this virus to date has no permanent treatment but only a suppression of the health issue, the new drug shows promise in decreasing the ability of the virus to reproduce and spread.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's estimated that approximately one in six Americans are affected by the disease in the age group of 14 to 49 years.

However, results of a drug trial showed that a 75-milligram dose of the new medication, if taken regularly, could help to prevent the spread of the health issue.

When testing the product, the drug was compared with a placebo. However, the benefits of the drug were found to be much higher.

"The drug is still a few years from the market, but it should be a boon to the many people for whom exiting therapy has lost effectiveness," Dr. Stephen Tyring , a professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston said, via a press release.

More information regarding the clinical trials of the drug can be found via the New England Journal of Medicine.