Herpes Treatments BlogWelcome to Best-Herpes-Treatments.com herpes blog. This blog is designed to show you what is happening at Best Herpes Treatments .com and also to share herpes treatment news that are not displayed elsewhere on this website.
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Aug 31, 2010, Herpes Side-Effects: herpes infection could cause acute drug reaction!French scientists have issued a warning about a rare but dangerous reaction seemingly caused by certain drugs which affect herpes sufferers. A drug reaction, known as “Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms” (DRESS) seems to affect about one in every eight thousand patients taking common medicines for the treatment of epilepsy, certain antibiotics or the anti-gout drug, Allopurinol. A study into DRESS found that the condition is caused by an immune reaction, prompted when a dormant herpes virus is reactivated and the body’s T Cells spring into action to attack it. DRESS typically causes high fever, skin rash and inflammation of one or more of the body’s vital organs, i.e. liver, kidneys or lungs and sometimes the heart. The drug reaction appears to be caused mainly in patients taking anticonvulsant drugs including carbamezapine, valproate and Sanofi-Aventis. It has also been associated with the antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and minocycline and the anti-gout drug, Allopurinol. Study lead Philippe Musette of the University of Rouen said the findings suggested physicians should test for the herpes virus in every incidence of DRESS and try to use anti-herpes treatments, adding the caution: “We can try anti-herpes drugs and treatments that inhibit viral reactivation, but that research has still to be done.” I would advise herpes sufferers who take anti convulsive drugs or any of the others mentioned to talk it over with their physician, though it must be stressed that DRESS is indeed a rare reaction. Aug 27, 2010, Herpes drugs and pregnancy: most common anti-herpetic drugs did not increase risk of birth defect in a new studyHerpes becomes a threat to babies before delivery mostly when the mother gets infected during pregnancy and especially during the last four weeks prior to delivery. A recent study in the August 25 issue of JAMA conducted in Denmark concluded that the use of the three most common herpes drugs; acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir did not increase the risk of major birth defects for mothers who took them during the first trimester of pregnancy. The study included 837,795 live-born infants in Denmark from January 1996 to September 2008. . Participants had no diagnoses of chromosomal aberrations, genetic syndromes, birth defect syndromes with known causes, or congenital viral infections. This information is fairly new as most of the information available today concerns the use of acyclovir during the last four weeks of pregnancy. The probability that a woman catches herpes during the first trimester of pregnancy is more than one percent. These new findings could therefore be very useful to a large number of women worldwide. "Although the safety of acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir in general has been well established, data on the use of these antivirals in early pregnancy are limited," the authors write. This new study indicates that acyclovir could be a safe treatment for newly infected mothers in the early stages of pregnancy but the author indicates that further studies are required to establish the safety of valacyclovir, and famciclovir use at this time. Aug 24, 2010, Herpes vaccine or herpes treatment?California based drug company Vical has been heralding the initial success of a novel herpes vaccine, Vaxfectin®. In clinical trials involving mice and guinea pigs, the vaccine was found to reduce the rate of recurrence of HSV-2 lesions in both primary and latent infection sites. Unlike other vaccine trials, this particular vaccine seems to be aimed at controlling the herpes virus once a body has been infected and is not an anti-herpes inoculation. The research was headed by Professor David Koelle of University of Washington School of Medicine, who claimed: “We are particularly encouraged by the ability of this novel vaccine to address both primary and latent infection sites.” Pre-clinical development of Vaxfectin® will continue under a three-year research program. Aug 21, 2010, Herpes as a Stress Vaccine!Unorthodox researcher Robert Sapolsky recently featured in Wired magazine (also online) after examining the role of stress in humans and primates and in particular how stress can and does affect the immune system and man’s ability to recover from trauma and illness. Long-term stress has been proven to promote herpes symptoms and many herpes sufferers have told me their outbreaks were a major cause of stress. That is why I smiled when I first read this news. Indeed, the funny thing about this new stress vaccine is that it uses a genetically modified herpes virus to deposit its active content. In other words, herpes which usually causes a lot of stress, especially during outbreaks, could become part of a vaccine to alleviate stress. How ironic is that? Now Sapolsky is starting to work on a vaccine which he claims will permit people to regain a natural calm after stressful situations without feeling generally drowsy or tired. Sapolsky’s argument goes along the lines that while an animal under threat is certainly stressed, once the immediate threat goes away the animal returns to a peaceful (if alert) state of mind. In humans it would seem, that doesn’t happen. When we’re subjected to stress we dwell on it even once the stressful situation has passed. We’re just basically pessimistic and once we get into one stressful situation we’re just convinced the next one is right around the corner. The vaccine would make us behave more like the rest of the animal kingdom in respect of stress factors and would therefore reduce the risk of disease, including herpes outbreaks. But the vaccine is still some years away from the human testing stage, so in the meantime take advantage of the best advice currently available in Herpes Antidote. Aug 20, 2010, Herpes &Sex: being over fifty does NOT protect you from herpes or STIs!You may imagine that all my correspondents are teenagers or thrusting young twenty or thirty-somethings. And you could not be more wrong. There’s a big, unspoken taboo in today’s society that is sex among the over-fifties. A bit like teenagers, over fifties are reluctant to talk about their sex lives – and when you think about magazine articles, TV Soaps and movies, it’s hardly surprising. Over fifties are stereotyped as grandfathers, grandmothers, maiden aunts and drooling residents of social care homes. Let me tell you that right now some of those over fifties are enjoying the most liberated and thrilling sex of their lives. They just don’t talk about it to their grandchildren - which is kind of a shame, because some of those grandchildren could explain a thing or two about unprotected sex and being aware of herpes and other STIs. Free of the risk of pregnancy and perhaps without a permanent partner, it’s easy just to get into the habit of unprotected sex. But age does not make anyone immune from the risk of herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases. Urology departments are reporting a huge increase in STIs among newly-liberated over 50s. Sex among the over 50s is something to be celebrated. It’s a sign life can be great whatever your age and it’s a great way to stay young-at-heart and in good physical shape. The lesson, I think, for those in that age group is to remember the importance of condom use in any new and untested relationship and maybe consider, too, the myriad ways of achieving sexual pleasure without the need for penetration. After fifty, sixty, seventy years or more, I reckon people know their own bodies. They know what they like, what their physical limitations (if any) might be and how to please a partner. So what about a new slogan for sexually active baby boomers? “Sex may be great, but herpes sure ain’t”. My advice given in Herpes Antidote applies to all ages. Whether you’re 19 or 99 you will benefit from my unconventional and exclusive formula to help you turn nasty herpes outbreaks into bad memories and protect your partner(s) from catching it from you. Aug 17, 2010, Herpes Foods : should you add frozen yogurt to your diet to fight herpes?Plain yogurt is considered one of the most beneficial foods to include in your diet as a help in the prevention and treatment of herpes outbreaks. That’s because yogurt contains a high proportion of a substance called lysine. Lysine inhibits the reproduction of the herpes virus in the same way that arginine encourages it. So with summer under way and temperatures rising, you may think that frozen yogurt is a great way to cool down while helping keep your herpes at bay. Let me tell you right now, loud and clear: “Don’t be fooled!” Frozen yogurt is really no more than a junk food. It’s very popular in the USA – and quite possibly very pleasant – but do you know what it contains? I’ll help you. One of America’s favorite commercial frozen yogurts contains:1. Pure crystalline fructose (that’s a form of sugar)2. Dextrose (that’s another form of sugar)3. Maltodextrin (that’s yet a third kind of sugar!) This brand of frozen yogurt is fairly typical of most. It includes yogurt powder (giving it the yogurt flavor) and here’s the “secret ingredient” – 4. Micro-encapsulated probiotic Because we’re told probiotic is good, we assume that anything containing probiotic is good. Well think of it this way… If you sprinkled some probiotic on top of a Big Mac would it be any healthier? If you spooned some probiotic over your toffee popcorn would it be good for you? Good, fresh, plain, real yogurt is good. But don’t be taken in by frozen yogurt. It’s really no more than fancy ice-cream dressed up to sound healthier than it really is. (This information was taken from Naturalnews) Aug 12, 2010, Herpes Drugs: Acyclovir cream new competitor found in your kitchenGo to your physician with an outbreak of labial or genital herpes and most likely you will be prescribed Acyclovir® ointment for local application five or six times daily to soothe the lesions and ease the pain. Acyclovir is produced by major drug companies who need to provide good shareholder returns. A 2004 study by the Department of Nephrology and Urology at Dubai specialized medical center in the United Arab Emirates compared topical application of Acyclovir® with topical application of pure honey. They took sixteen adult patients with recurring herpes symptoms, either labial or genital, and treated eight with Acyclovir® and eight with pure honey. Can you guess which provided the best results? Honey. Average healing times, pain reduction, duration of outbreaks were all significantly better in patients treated with honey. And what is more there were absolutely no side effects reported. Costs of treatments vary, but an average price for a 15g tube of Acyclovir ointment in the US would be around $25 and in the UK around £12 Manuka Honey – one of the purest available – will cost you anywhere from £5 to £18 (UK) or $8 - $28 (US) for a 250g jar. Honey is made by bees. Bees don’t know what shareholders are! But remember this important point. Honey alone won’t keep your herpes at bay. I strongly recommend you obtain my Herpes Antidote. This program has taken me a long time to research and compile and contains invaluable tips and tricks to keep your herpes where it belongs – in the distant memory. Aug 9, 2010, Got Herpes? Did You Know You're a Profit Center?Do you see Herpes as a money-making opportunity? Yeah, right! Herpes is a nasty viral infection that we all wish didn’t exist but that we all know is what gives us grief, anxiety and often pain. Comfort yourself (?) with the knowledge that the pharmaceutical industry made a cool $2.9 billion out of our misfortune last year alone. In 2001 that figure was $1 billion, so the growth in profits putting smiles on the faces of the fat cats and causing most of us to get apoplectic with rage has been growing at 12.3% these past nine years. A much better return than your average bank savings account. Market analysts, businesswire.com get my prize for stating the $@@** obvious when they say: “The primary factor contributing to the increase in revenues over the forecast period is the increase in disease incidence.” The average cost of treating an individual, per annum, amounted to between $725 and $2,050 depending on the treatment regime. I’m not saying that pharmaceutical treatments don’t have their place. The choice is yours and I’m not going to interfere with what works for you. I just know that my natural herpes treatment protocol certainly works extremely well for most people, and you won’t have to pay out nearly a thousand dollars to put it into practice. Aug 5, 2010, Herpes Drugs: Can this plant extract replace acyclovir?According to a report in the Examiner (examiner.com July 18 2010) the Moringa Tree, native to parts of Asia, South America and Africa is being seen as one of nature’s own miracle plants. The tree is known for its hardiness and ability to grow and flourish in the most arid of conditions, but its medicinal properties extend far beyond those of most plant extracts. Moringa (Moringa Olifeira) is believed to be efficacious in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions including diabetes, asthma, psoriasis and insect bites. Of great interest to me though, my faithful readers, is its apparent effectiveness in the treatment of herpes. Before I hear the more skeptical of you complaining about the lack of serious scientific evidence, let me quote you something I found while researching Moringa. I had to hunt hard because this is the kind of information the pharmaceutical giants really don’t want you to hear. This was written back in 2003! “Twenty Thai medicinal plant extracts were evaluated for anti-herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) activity.” [The tests were performed on laboratory mice] “The extract of M. oleifera at a dose of 750mg/kg per day significantly delayed the development of skin lesions, prolonged the mean survival times and reduced the mortality of HSV-1 infected mice.” And the killer observation….”There were no significant differences between acyclovir and these three* plant extracts in the delay of the development of skin lesions and no significant difference between acyclovir and M. oleifera in mean survival times.” *The other plants evaluated were Aglaia odorata and Ventilago denticulata Abstract from Antiviral Res. 2003 Nov;60(3):175-80.Efficacy of Thai medicinal plant extracts against herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in vitro and in vivo. Lipipun V, Kurokawa M, Suttisri R, Taweechotipatr P, Pramyothin P, Hattori M, Shiraki K.Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. lvimolma@chula.ac.th Jul 27, 2010, Herpes Treatment: MiRNA the new key to herpes supressive therapyNew method of targeting herpes virus could lead to treatment breakthrough. Back in 2006, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania worked out part of the reason herpes sores have a nasty habit of coming back time and time again. Professor Nigel Fraser and his team discovered as long ago as 1984 that herpes was different than most other infections when they discovered a latency-associated transcript gene (LAT) in the HSV-1 herpes virus. In simple terms, this means that although drugs like acyclovir can treat the symptoms of herpes, they can’t get to the nub of the problem because the LAT gene won’t allow the cell causing the problem to die. That discovery, nearly thirty years ago, led the team to hypothesize that the LAT gene produced a molecule known as Micro RNA (MiRNA) whose effect was to prevent anything from reaching and killing the infected cells. So Fraser and his colleagues concluded in 2006 that finding a MiRNA that interacts with the cellular pathway during latency could offer the first treatment against latency itself and thus a profoundly different method of treatment. Fast forward four years to research by a team at the Edinburgh University (UK) who have found a way to manipulate MiRNA levels enabling them to control a network of proteins and prevent viruses from growing. Research centered around herpes viruses as well as the Semliki Forest virus, mainly spread by mosquito bites. The viruses behave in different ways, with the herpes family of viruses multiplying inside nuclei of cells and the Semliki Forest virus multiplying outside. But by making the site of infection in either case less hospitable to viruses, the viruses become less able to mutate and make drug treatment more effective. Tackling the viruses in this manner also meant that the team was able to tackle more than one virus simultaneously. Dr Amy Buck of Edinburgh University’s Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution explained: “New viral strains emerge frequently and many infections are difficult to diagnose and treat. It is important to find new ways of targeting infection. Our hope is that we will be able to use host-directed therapies to supplement the natural immune response and disable viruses by taking away what they need to survive.” Jul 23, 2010, Herpes Transmission: A Gel to Stop Herpes Spreading ?The International AIDS conference in Vienna has recently learned of test results from a South African clinical trial showing encouraging results in the use of a microbicide vaginal gel. In tests over nearly three years, a group of 889 women who had tested HIV negative but who were considered to be at high risk of HIV infection were given either a vaginal gel containing the antiviral drug tenofovir or a placebo. Their remit was to use the vaginal gel twelve hours before sexual intercourse and to apply a second dose no later than twelve hours after sex. Over the course of the trial, 98 of the women became HIV positive. Of these, 60 were in the placebo group and the remaining 38 in the tenofovir group. These results combined with questions showed that when the tenofovir gel was used for 75% of sexual activity, tenovir was 39% effective. When used as directed 100% of the time, its effectiveness was 54%. What is more, the vaginal gel proved overall 50% effective in the prevention of genital herpes. The importance of this study is that it finally empowers women to take the lead in disease prevention, with more than half of HIV and herpes infections in Africa occurring in women and girls. Said Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS: “For the first time we have seen results for a woman-initiated and controlled HIV prevention option” The trial, known as the CAPRISA trial, was funded by both South African and US governments. Further trials will be necessary before the gel can be formally approved and brought to market. Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy cautioned: “As exciting as this result is – and as important as it is to follow it up without delay – the reality is that this product will not be available for widespread introduction tomorrow. It is critical to manage expectations while maintaining urgency.” Jul 21, 2010, HPV Vaccine: Gardasil – could it increase cancer risk in some?Can Gardasil® increase your risk of cervical cancer? Across America more and more young girls are being told they should receive the HSV vaccination as a protection against cervical cancer. The drug recommended by the FDA (Federal Drug Advisory) is Gardasil®. Now it seems that some health professionals, while continuing to advise the public that teenage girls should receive the vaccination, are declining to have it administered to their own daughters. Included in this number is the Director of Gynecology at a New York hospital, according to mercola.com. Gardasil® protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. It is known that the vaccination has no effect if the recipient is already infected with HPV and this is clearly stated by the manufacturer, Merck What is not being circulated to the public, however, is a little piece of important information given by Merck to the FDA prior to its being licensed. Merck stated: “If you have been exposed to HPV 16 or 18 prior to [receiving the vaccine] you increase your chance of precancerous lesions, or worse, by 44.6%” You could argue that girls as young as 12 are unlikely to have been exposed to the virus, but this is not the only age group receiving inoculation, and no test is routinely given before inoculation occurs. This means that inoculation with Gardasil® could be putting at risk the very people it is intended to protect. If you’re considering inoculation and haven’t been tested for HPV it would certainly make sense to ask to be tested before agreeing to any injection. Please note that the vaccination program conducted in the United Kingdom by the NHS (National Health Service) utilizes the drug Cervarix®, and not Gardasil®. Jul 19, 2010, Is a herpes vaccine really worth it?Vaccination helps protect us against diseases like polio, German measles (rubella) and whooping cough – right? Well maybe – and then again maybe not, according to researcher Judy Wilyman, a PhD candidate at Perth University, Australia. Conventional wisdom (or at least what the pharmaceutical companies who develop vaccines) tells us that by injecting us with a variant of a particular disease, our immune system will be duped into thinking we have the real thing, spring into action and give us the protection we need against the disease. So, for example, injecting us with a dose of something which is akin to whooping cough will fool our immune system into producing antibodies to protect us against whooping cough. That’s what just about every parent is told and why their children are inoculated. Ms Wilyman concludes: “Pertussis [whooping cough] vaccine is not controlling the incidence of pertussis in the Australian community, nor was it the most significant factor in reducing mortality and morbidity of pertussis disease.” A parallel PhD paper by Arlette Mercae of the University of Tasmania argues that the bigger drug companies are pushing ahead with vaccine research while ignoring scientific papers which argue that maybe this form of immunization actually doesn’t work. As research into herpes vaccination continues, we can only trust that the conventional wisdom is at least partially correct. In the meantime, and until a definitive preventative is found, you can find good advice on defeating herpes personally right here on this site. Jul 13, 2010, Herpes & Immune System: bannish negative thinking or get sick!Can optimism help to strengthen your immune system? A recent study into first-year law students conducted by Suzanne Segerstrom of the University of Kentucky and Sandra Sephton from the University of Louisville concluded that there may be a correlation. Students were asked to predict their study grades,prior to undergoing a skin test. Those who were optimistic about their results appeared to be armed with more cell-mediated immunity (CMI) a key component in fighting off diseases. This mind/body connection is little understood, but this is not the first time tests have indicated that the mind can have tremendous influence over bodily reaction. An earlier study by 2002 Templeton prize winning psychologist Segerstrom with the University of California, showed that optimism affected the immune system, mood changes and response to stress. Segerstrom says: “Setbacks are inherent to almost every worthwhile human activity, and a number of studies show that optimists are in general both psychologically and physiologically healthier.” As I say in my new program, Herpes Antidote, I believe the less you focus on herpes the fewer outbreaks you will get. Actually, I don't merely say it. In my program I show you how to get rid of the fear and stress caused by herpes. Think positive. Think optimistic. It costs nothing and the rewards could be outstanding. Jul 9, 2010, Herpes Drugs: Valtrex May Become Outdated Soon!Newly-published research from Japan brings hope of a herpes antiviral more powerful and more versatile than the existing acyclovir and valacyclovir treatments. The drug, named ASP2151, from Astellas Pharmaceuticals, works in a different way from the acyclovir family of drugs and initial animal testing has shown it to be more effective against HSV-1, HSV-2 and Herpes Zoster. Human trials in phase two have recently been completed in the United States on subjects with recurrent genital herpes, but results are yet to be published. Watch this space! Jul 5, 2010, Herpes Photos: could looking at herpes pictures regularly make you outbreak free?What do you think if you see a photograph of your favorite food? My guess is that unless you have just had a meal or are feeling queasy, the picture puts the memory of food in your head and you want to eat that food right now! Do people who are quitting the smoking habit continually want pictures of cigarettes thrust in front of them? Not the ones I know. They say it just tempts them into wanting to smoke again. So how about pictures of herpes outbreaks? How would they make you feel? Well I guess nobody wants to suffer another herpes outbreak, but is such a thing likely? According to recent research conducted by Mark Schaller of the University of British Columbia, seeing photographs of people with herpes outbreaks may trigger the immune system to produce a reaction to the disease and prevent an outbreak. In experiments, Schaller and his associates showed groups of people two slideshows. The first was of photographs of everyday objects such as furniture; the second either of disease-related images – like people with sores or people sneezing or coughing, or of people pointing guns.Blood samples were taken from volunteers before and after each screening and a small amount of bacteria added to the samples. It was discovered that blood taken from patients exposed to the disease-related imagery produced quantities of interleukin-6, a natural disease-fighting compound. Patients exposed to the firearms pictures produced less interleukin-6 in their blood. Now let me tell you about my own, non-scientific observations. Over the years I have been helping people with herpes I have noticed that people who are more “into” the disease and who tend to look at more images of people with herpes – are the very same people who seem to have more outbreaks of herpes. In the same vein, you could argue that people who like to look at photos of people with guns are probably more likely to mess with guns and therefore more likely to get hurt. It’s a debate which has a way to run, I feel. Jul 1, 2010, The FDA Did Not Ban That One!In a landmark judicial ruling, the US Federal Drugs Agency (FDA) has lost a case against Alliance for Natural Health. The FDA has long campaigned against so-called ‘quack’ remedies, but in its zeal it is often accused by alternative healthcare providers of being high handed in its attitude to dietary supplements in suppressing ‘qualified’ claims about products.In essence, a ‘qualified’ claim is when somebody quotes a scientific survey and concludes that it appears [a fact] is true but that further tests are needed or a certain test has good results in mice but full human trials have not been concluded. The claim is not saying that product x is a miracle cure for disease y but it is qualified in saying that so far things look good. In this case, the FDA tried to suppress a claim by ANH that the substance Selenium (sold in supplement form by ANH) could be a useful weapon in the armory against cancer. While the FDA argued there was no conclusive scientific evidence that selenium was of any use in cancer treatment, ANH argued there was a case for suggesting that it may be useful and that case was backed up by evidence. Judge Ellen Cuvelle ruled in favor of ANH saying the FDH was effectively denying the defendant the right of free speech, contrary to the First Amendment. There are many who will ‘jump on the bandwagon’ of this ruling, and undoubtedly some of them will be charlatans. However it is important that all information about products should be released publicly. The public must be credited with enough intelligence to sort out the stuff that works from the stuff that does not. I always tell you the truth about any products or supplements I recommend. I always will do. It is not in my interest to promote products that don’t work. I’m a firm believer in free speech, and I support this ruling against the billion dollar drug companies a hundred percent and more. Jun 28, 2010, Can I Get Pregnant With Herpes?One of the most frequent questions women ask about herpes concerns pregnancy and whether the herpes virus can harm the unborn child. In a recent article for the New York Times, Dr Peter Leone gives sound advice summarized as follows: The greatest risk is in women who do not contract genital herpes (HSV1 or HSV2) until late in pregnancy and whose bodies do not have time to produce antibodies before the birth is due. In such (rare) cases, a Caesarian section birth may be considered the safest option to avoid infecting the child. Women with longstanding HSV infection are at low risk of infecting the baby during the birth unless they have active legions in the vaginal tract. To prevent the likelihood of this occurring, some clinicians advise daily treatment with antiviral drugs in the weeks immediately before the birth. The risk of transmitting herpes to your baby if you do not have an active episode at the time of the birth is less than 0.1 percent. Jun 24, 2010, Herpes Diet and Stress: can poor diet and heavy stress cause herpes outbreaks?
In an article for the In an article for theNewYork Times, Dr Peter A. Leone, associate professor, University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Public Health states: “Studies do not show an association of outbreaks with diet or stress, but that does not completely rule out these as possible triggers…”
Now I have always maintained that clinicians don’t have all the answers – and though I hate to criticise such an eminent physician, I wonder whether he has ever talked to any of his herpes patients!
I’ve kept myself outbreak free now for several years and put every effort into making sure you can do the same. A major plank of my advice concerns avoiding stress wherever possible and keeping to a ‘herpes friendly’ diet.
Now before I get myself too stressed over Dr Leone’s remarks I have to say that his clinical description of how herpes outbreaks occur is, as you might expect, faultless.
But he goes on to say that most people with HSV2 will experience “four to six outbreaks per year”. So how come 20% never experience any symptoms whatsoever?
The article mentions the use of Acyclovir treatment, but it would be cynical of me to suggest the New York Times article is merely a product placement. You can decide for yourself.
Watson Pharmaceuticals has announced that its subsidiary group, Watson Laboratories Inc has received Federal Drug Advisory Committee approval for the commercial production of its generic Valacyclovir Hydrochloride.
The drug, licensed for use in the treatment of oral and genital herpes and herpes zoster, is available in 500mg and 1000mg strengths is the generic equivalent of Valtrex® which is a trademark of GlaxoSmithKline.
Herpes sufferers the world over will be hoping this news leads to a much-needed reduction in price in their treatment regime.
Watson Inc has its headquarters in Corona, California.
May 2010’s edition of Schizophrenia Research publishes research from a study undertaken by the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine revealing that certain cognitive disorders commonly found in patients with schizophrenia may be aggravated by the presence of the HSV-1 herpes virus.
Doctors have known for some time that some features of schizophrenia concern cognitive brain functions like concentration, learning and memory. Such symptoms often present in patients months, even years before more traditional symptoms of delusion or hallucination.
But study leader, Dr David J. Schretien says: “We’re finding that some portion of cognitive impairment, usually blamed solely on the disease of schizophrenia, might actually be a combination of schizophrenia and prior exposure to herpes simplex virus 1 infection, which reproduces in the brain.”
Previous studies had shown that schizophrenia patients with HSV-1 antibodies presented more serious cognitive defects than those without. Other studies had shown HSV-1 infected patients to have decreased brain volume.
By way of investigation, Schretien’s team tested 40 schizophrenia patients, 25 with HSV-1 antibodies and 15 without. Patients were set identical cognitive brain tasks measuring co-ordination, verbal memory and organizational skills before undergoing an MRI brain scan.
As in previous tests, patients with HSV-1 antibodies performed significantly worse than those without, but the MRI scans also revealed decreased brain volume in those same patients.
Dr Schretien concludes that by treating schizophrenic patients with antiviral in addition to ‘standard’ medication, “it might be possible to reduce the risk or the extent of cognitive defects.”
About 70% to 90% of the US population has HSV-1. No wonder Schizophrenia is rampant these days. ;-)Sorry, but I just don't like these alarming studies.
Although herpes zoster (shingles) can affect people of almost any age, it is known to be prevalent among adults over 50 years of age and more so among those aged over 70.
Could the fact that immunization is not routinely given be due to the ‘cost/benefit’ culture of geriatric medicine?
A study (May 4) published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows the herpes zoster vaccine is: “effective in preventing herpes zoster … in immunocompetent older adults” according to report author, Michael S. Simberkoff, MD of the New York University School of Medicine.
A second study, however, shows that efforts to administer the drug are hampered by financial constraints. Laura P. Hurley, MD, MPH and colleagues questioned 301 general internists and 297 family physicians. While 90% highly recommended inoculation against influenza and pneumonia, only 41% strongly recommended the herpes zoster vaccine. Barriers to recommendation were largely financial, with 12% stopping its use due to cost and reimbursement problems. Only 45% of providers were aware that the vaccine could be reimbursed through Medicare Part D*
The purpose of Dr Simberkoff’s trial was to establish the vaccine’s safety in geriatric use and involved 38,456 participants aged 60 years or over. Some were injected with the vaccine and others with a placebo. Seven participants who received the vaccine contracted herpes zoster, compared with 24 who received the placebo.
Looking at these studies side-by-side it is difficult to draw any other conclusion than that a person’s bank balance seems to outweigh their need for equal treatment.
In a pending lawsuit, an Illinois woman claims Quest Diagnostics, based in Alton, IL and one of its female managers breached confidentiality by inappropriately revealing the results of her herpes test.
The lawsuit arises from an allegation that the woman, calling herself ‘Jane Doe’, was having a sexual relationship with a man who was also having sex with the manager.
When Jane Doe took herpes (HSV II) test on the advice of her physician, the manager, seeing the positive results, notified the man, also revealing details of Jane Doe’s private physician.
The manager allegedly claimed to have tested positive for HSV II herself and argued she must have contracted it from the man, who must have contracted it from Jane Doe. She forged a positive herpes test result for herself.
The man later tested negative for herpes, informed Jane Doe and initiated a lawsuit. The manager admitted she did not have herpes and has now been fired by Quest Diagnostics.
The suit claims Quest Diagnostics was negligent in allowing confidential information about test results to fall into the hands of an employee who was not directly involved. It further claims both Quest Diagnostics and its former manager inflicted emotional distress on the plaintiff.
French pharmaceutical company BioAlliance Pharma is developing a new oral herpes treatment, Aciclovir Lauriad, which has just produced encouraging Phase III results.
The next step is to present these results to both European and American health authorities to see whether the drug can be licensed or whether further trials are necessary.
According to the response, BioAlliance Pharma will then be seeking a partner for the final development phase of the drug before its release, according to CEO Dominique Costantini. An existing agreement with Therabel, Belgium could see the latter providing up to 4% of funding in the next year.
Former porn star Shelley Lubben is an ordained minister of religion, having obtained a Bachelors degree in theology in 2009. She is founder and Executive Director of the charity Pink Cross Foundation, dedicated to offering emotional, financial and transitional support to sex industry workers.
Lubben recently claimed she had been totally cured of herpes. After becoming pregnant, she re-tested for herpes with the intention of seeking counseling for mothers with herpes. The blood test, however, yielded a negative result. Lubben claims she asked God how this could be and that God told her he had cured her.
Lubben contracted genital herpes while working in porn movies. She says: "They told me if I had my AIDS test that I'd be safe. I arrived on the set with my test and did a hardcore scene with two men. Within that week I was very sick with a fever of 104 and blisters all over my mouth, throat and private area. I looked like a monster. The doctor told me I had the non-curable disease Genital Herpes. I wanted to die."
It is claimed that 66% of women working in the porn industry have genital herpes. The infection rate among men working in pornography is significantly lower.
At some point, Lubben decided that the sex industry was not so glamorous and recently campaigned with others to make condom use a requirement of making sex movies.
She believes the pornography industry is always degrading to women and encourages them to do as she did and quit the industry for good. Her web site includes many moving testimonials from former porn actresses. I love her and what she does for women and men. She pours her heart out with so much beauty, honesty and self-respect. I would have never imagined that any woman with such a past would rise to so much dignity. Congratulations Shelley! You place love where fear and hatred prevails.
A team of research scientists from the University of South Florida has reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(March 2010) that the human herpes virus, HHV-6, can integrate its DNA with human DNA (via sperm and egg cells), causing a small percentage of babies (about one percent in the U.S.) to be born with the DNA of the virus present in every cell of their body.
The HHV-6 virus is responsible for infantile roseola, a condition which affects young babies and manifests itself in a fever lasting about three days, followed by a raised red rash. Most children who are affected by infantile roseola are not born with its DNA in their bodies. The difference is that the viral DNA is present in the chromosomes, rather than a more ‘conventional’ herpes infection which lies latent in the immune system but which is not integral with the DNA.
It is thought that this invasive virus may also play a part in chronic fatigue syndrome as well as certain cancers and auto immune diseases.
Although widely differing in genetic characteristics, another herpes virus with a very similar DNA sequence infects chickens with Marek’s disease and has also been found to have the ability to use the strategy of integration with the host’s DNA.
Throughout Europe and North America, Chlamydia is the most prevalent of all sexually transmitted diseases, with an estimated 3 million new infections diagnosed annually.
While symptoms of a Chlamydia infection may be mild or non-existent, a major cause of concern is that untreated Chlamydia infection in women can lead to the far more serious pelvic inflammatory disease.
But according to new research published by the British Medical Journal, it is unlikely that single screening for Chlamydia can prevent women developing PID in the year following screening.
In the research, a sample of 2529 sexually active female students provided vaginal swabs and agreed to a follow-up examination after one year. The sample was randomly divided into two. Half the swabs were tested immediately and half after a period of one year.
It was discovered that 79% of PID infections occurred in women who had tested negative for Chlamydia when initially screened.
Research lead, Dr Pippa Oakeshott from the University of London maintains that the absolute numbers of cases of PID which can be prevented by a single screening for Chlamydia are small and that this methodology is not particularly cost-effective. Dr Oakeshott and co-author Jessica Sherringham call on policy makers to underline the recommendation of the national Chlamydia screening program that in addition to annual screening, individuals should be re-tested for Chlamydia whenever they have a new sexual partner.
Laboratory error leads to melanoma breakthrough
Researchers from Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center made an error during research into an anti- herpes vaccine which has had beneficial effects for some melanoma sufferers.
It seems that during research into OncoVEX anti-herpes vaccine, some of the serum was accidentally placed in a Petri dish containing a dish of tumor cells. Scientists noted that the vaccine attacked the cancer cells and not unnaturally decided to change their line of research.
The second phase of the trial saw 50 patients with metastatic melanoma injected with the vaccine. Eight patients recovered totally and four patients displayed partial responses to the drug.
Dr Howard Kaufman of Chicago Rush said in a press release: “What really surprised and encouraged us was that the vaccine worked not just on the cells we injected, but on lesions in other parts of the body that we couldn’t reach. In other words, the vaccine prompted an immune response that was circulated through the bloodstream to distant sites”
In terms of experimental success, Dr Kaufman explained that the results of this second phase were extremely good, but that the experiment needed to be repeated using a larger sample before firm conclusions could be drawn. Phase III of the OncoVEX trial will involve 430 patients from across the U.S.
While I am (of course) absolutely delighted for those melanoma patients who have seen the benefit of this vaccine, I do hope that the original research into a herpes vaccine will not be completely sidelined and that we may soon see some tangible results in the search for an anti-herpes vaccine.
Recent research from Cancer Research UK had shown how certain viruseshave mutated to take advantage of an “Achilles’ heel” in the makeup ofhuman DNA in order to infect their victims.
The complex process uncovered involves small amounts of geneticmaterial called microRNAs. One of the roles of these microRNAs is toregulate immune response to infection by preventing harmfulinflammation.
But the study found that certain viruses have mutated to exploit thisaspect of DNA by stimulating the activity of microRNAs, enabling themto establish themselves in the victim’s body.
– Is Valtrex really the herpes panacea?
Back in 1995, UK based drug company Glaxo Wellcome, later merged with SmithKline Beecham to become Glaxo SmithKline (GSK), introduced a drug called Valtrex to the lucrative herpes treatment market.
Because Valtrex is a preventative rather than palliative drug, its perceived advantage over competitor drug Zovirax (also produced by GSK) is that it can be taken continuously to prevent outbreaks of HSV-1 or HSV-2 and needs to be taken only once per day.
Under license terms, the cost of Valtrex treatment has remained comparably higher than treatment with Zovirax in recent years, as the Zovirax license expired some time ago and the drug has been available in generic form (acyclovir) for some time in both the United States and Europe.
This year, the Valtrex license expired and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave permission for India-based Ranbaxy laboratories to introduce its generic form of the drug, valacyclovir hydrochloride.
Various US, Canadian or Indian based websites offer both Valtrex and the generic valacyclovir tablets in 500mg or 1000mg form, but in either case costs are very high (between $2.31 and $7.50 per tablet) and there seems to be little price differential between Valtrex and its generic equivalent.
In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to obtain antiviral drugs for the treatment of genital herpes without prescription, although Zovirax cream (not tablets) is now licensed for over-the-counter pharmacy sales for use against cold sores only. You should always consult a qualified physician before obtaining any prescription medication.
Whether you should choose to use Valtrex or its generic equivalent, you should not forget that you are dealing with a powerful drug which can cause side effects such as headache, nausea and dizziness and should only be taken under medical supervision.
I think these drugs should only be taken in very specific circumstances and my mailbag of readers experiencing nasty side-effects backs up my intuition. They may help in some cases but will never cure herpes. Some of the publicity surrounding these drugs suggests that they can take care of everything and that you don’t need to take responsibility for your own health and wellbeing.
If you want to learn how you can eliminate herpes symptoms in just a few days. Join me now at http://www.herpes-antidote.com
Among the ranks of newly-infected herpes sufferers there are probably three common questions. Firstly – How can I get rid of this disease? Secondly – How did I get it? And Thirdly – “How often am I going to have painful outbreaks?”
You can find answers to some of these questions in my e-book, Herpes Wise, but here I want to highlight the release of a new screening test called the HerpesDX genetic test which may provide a good clue to the third question.
Work on total herpes prevention or cure continues apace, but as yet once infected with the herpes virus HSV-2, it will stay in the body for life. Until now it has been impossible to predict with any certainty at all the frequency with which the sufferer will experience symptoms. We know that some people have very frequent symptoms and that others can experience virtually none.
Developed by DermaGenoma Inc, the HerpesDX genetic test can predict whether a patient is likely to have frequent outbreaks, with the advantage of avoiding unpleasant side-effects caused by the unnecessary or over-use of antiviral medications.
The test detects specific mutations in the mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene, which plays an important part in the body’s auto immune response to infection. A genital herpes patient testing positive has about an 80% chance of developing frequent symptoms while a patient testing negative has about an 80% chance of remaining largely symptom-free.
The test is currently available only through your physician at a cost of $249.00 (US)
The cytomegalovirus, otherwise known as CMV currently infects between 50 and 80 percent of the US population aged 40 and above. Normally it is relatively harmless and does not cause serious illness. However in vulnerable groups such as newborn infants, the very elderly or those infected with HIV or other diseases affecting the auto immune system, CMV can present serious and even fatal problems.
When most viruses attack the body, they are ‘remembered’ by the immune system in case of future attack. That is why it is unusual to contract chickenpox, seasonal strains of influenza and many other virally transmitted diseases more than once.
CMV is different, and is one of very few viruses which can ‘trick’ the body’s immune system and successfully attack several times. The mystery of how CMV is able to do this has recently been unraveled thanks to research by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
By studying monkeys naturally infected with CMV, researchers discovered re-infection could only occur by the virus evading “killer T cells”, critical detector mechanisms in the immune system.
Dr Klaus Frueh, professor of microbiology at OHSU School of Medicine explains “CMV evades these alert systems by making genes that disrupt the MHC-I molecules’ ability to communicate an ongoing infection to the T cells. In essence, CMV is able to cutoff an infected cell’s call for elimination. This allows CMV to overcome this critical immune barrier during re-infection.
The study reinforces the difficulties in formulating a successful vaccine against CMV, but on a positive note, if CMV could be used as a viral vector in the development of vaccine against HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis C and other viruses affecting the immune system, then unlike other viral vectors which may be used only once (due to their detection and future elimination by killer T cells). CMV could be used repeatedly to stimulate an immune response.
New stem cell therapy could hold the key to future treatment of HIV and possibly Herpes viruses according to Professor Ben Berkhout from the University of Amsterdam.
Speaking at the Spring conference of the Society for General Microbiology, Prof. Berkhout explained that anti-retroviral drug administration commonly used in the treatment of HIV has limited effectiveness due to a low patient compliance rate as well as the virus’s ability to mutate – leading to drug-resistant strains which are difficult to treat.
By extracting and treating stem cells, the antiviral DNA can theoretically be delivered directly to the patient’s auto-immune system, bypassing drug administration. Cells would be taken from the patient’s bone marrow, and treated with anti-viral DNA in vitro, after which the stem cells would be re-injected into the patient.
Prof. Berkhout explains: “Stem cells are the continually dividing ‘master copy’ cells from which all other immune cells are derived.” By engineering the stem cells, the antiviral DNA is inherited by all the immune cells that are born from it.”
Prof. Berkhout envisages commencing laboratory tests within three years, saying: “So far, very promising results have been obtained in the laboratory, and we are now testing the safety and efficacy in a pre-clinical mouse model.”
Newly-formed Emory Institute of Drug Discovery has teamed up with biotechnology company Zirus Inc. in an effort to produce up-to-the-minute anti viral drugs to combat such diseases as HIV, Herpes and even the common cold virus.
William O’Brien, Chief Marketing Officer at Zirus said: “Over the years, viruses have shown they can outsmart vaccines and anti-viral drugs by mutating and developing resistance. As a result, there is no effective vaccine for HIV [and] each year we need a new vaccine for the seasonal flu…”
The Emory team is led by Dr Dennis Liotta who has won numerous awards for his work and is the inventor of several effective anti-viral drugs. Dr Liotta commented of this new partnership with Zirus: “While I have successfully worked for many years developing anti-viral drugs, the Zirus approach to blocking host cell genes and gene products represents a new paradigm in dealing with infectious disease that may address some of the shortcomings of conventional programs.
By agreement, Zirus would be responsible for delivering targets for diseases, screening potential drugs in viral assays and carrying our animal trials. Emery would construct chemical libraries and optimize candidate drugs. Financial returns would be shared on results.
Previous (unconnected) research has shown that the intake of a naturally occurring compound known as indole-3-carbinole may also act as a blocker for the genital herpes virus. The compound is found in certain foods, including broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts and in a 2003 trial, the compound was found to inhibit the virus from reproducing itself in 99.9% of cases.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, England is the scene for ground breaking patient trials of a vaccine designed to prevent the spread of genital herpes by infected individuals to their sexual partners.
Encouraging results in animal trials indicate that the vaccine may succeed where others have failed. The vaccine, a ‘candidate’ vaccine, is based on a weakened version of the offending virus. Although other candidate vaccines have been developed previously, they have failed to protect due to the HSV2 virus’s ability to ‘hide’ from the body’s immune system.
This latest vaccine, ImmunoVex HSV2, developed by biotechnology company BioVex has been designed to counter this problem, allowing it to generate an immune response to infection. BioVex CEO Robert Coffin explains: “We have based our design on the failures of the past and we hope this will make our vaccine more likely to succeed.”
The initial trial will establish if the vaccine is safe in healthy volunteers as well as to ensure it generates a good immune response. If successful, the next phase will be to test the vaccine on the partners of herpes sufferers.
If successful, it is estimated that a vaccine available for general use could be produced within about five years.
Cervical cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of all cancer deaths -- so it was somewhat surprising when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked approval of Gardasil, a Merck vaccine targeting the human papilloma virus that causes the disease. As of the end of January 2010, 49 unexplained deaths following Gardasil injections have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. By contrast, 52 deaths are attributed to unintended acceleration in Toyotas, which triggered a $2 billion recall. There has been no recall for Gardasil, however. In fact, it is required for sixth-grade girls in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and many other states. Merck denies any of the deaths are related to its vaccine -- and of course, it is difficult for the grieving parents to prove they were.HPV Vaccine Safety is called into question
Following widespread publicity around HPV prevention vaccines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration swiftly approved the drug Gardasil, manufactured by Merck. The drug targets the Human Papilloma Virus which can cause cervical cancer.
But in his online blog, Dr Mercola points out that by the end of January 2010 no less than 49 unexplained deaths following Gardasil injections had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Merck denies that any of these deaths is directly attributable to Gardasil.
Mercola compares the reaction of car manufacturer Toyota, who undertook a $2 billion recall of its vehicles following a similar number of deaths reported possibly due to a car malfunction. Neither Merck nor the U.S. Government has attempted to recall Gardasil, which is now a required inoculation for sixth-grade girls in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and other states.
The United Kingdom government rejected Gardasil in favor of GSK’s Cervarix, a drug tested over six and a half years on over 40,000 women and with no reported deaths. In the UK inoculation is now offered free of charge to most schoolgirls aged 12 and over. (source: Times Online)
Research recently published in Stroke reveals adults infected with shingles (herpes zoster) present a 30 percent greater risk of stroke than adults who have not been so infected. The risk becomes even higher if shingles has affected the area around the eyes.
Herpes Zoster is a recurrence of the chickenpox virus which, like HSV-1 and HSV-2 can linger in the body for a lifetime. Shingles symptoms normally start with a visible and painful or tingling rash on the face or body.
Urging doctors treating shingles to look out for signs of stroke, lead scientist Dr Jiunn-Horng Kang of Tapei Medical University Hospital commented: “Many studies have shown people with herpes zoster infection more likely to develop stroke, but ours is first to demonstrate the actual risk of stroke following infection”
While Dr Kang’s team did not study the causal relationship between herpes zoster and stroke, other studies have indicated blood vessel walls damaged by shingles close and block blood flow to the brain.
The study comprised 7,760 patients over 18, treated for shingles between 1997 and 2001. The average age of this group was 47. Figures were compared with a similar group who had not been infected with shingles.
Merix Pharmaceutical Corp,the manufacturer of Releev, a very popular cold sore remedy in the US, has unveiled its over the counter genital herpes treatment. Selling under the name Fast Results!™ it is recommended for use in conjunction with prescription herpes drugs, though Merix CEO Meryl Squires acknowledges: “Although we recommend it to be used in conjunction with prescription medication, there are many people who cannot afford a prescription. Fast Results! brings these people fast, easily available, over the counter treatment.”
Fast Results!™ is approved under the FDA OTC Antiseptic/Antimicrobial Monograph. It combines Viracea already used in Releev along with a new patented technology. Its main goal is to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with genital herpes outbreaks.
The product will be available in CVS stores from mid May and from Rite Aid stores shortly afterwards. There is currently no news on its future availability outside the United States.
It is too soon for me to write a review but I feel this remedy could be exciting as a low budget remedy for the temporary relief of herpes symptoms.
Recent analysis by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows about 16% of all Americans aged between 14 and 49 are infected with genital herpes (HSV-2).
The study showed women almost twice as likely to be infected as men (21% against 11.5%) with the highest rate of infection among black women (48%) Overall infection rates stood at 39% for blacks as against 12% for whites. Dr John Douglas Jr., who is the head of the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention said the high rate of infection within the black community was not due to increased risk behavior, but probably due to biological factors.
Alarmingly, 80% of those infected were unaware of their infection. Dr Douglas said: “The message is herpes is quite common. The symptoms can be often quite innocuous”
Although herpes symptoms are treatable, there is as yet no cure for the infection: “Many individuals are transmitting herpes to others without even knowing it” said Douglas, adding this was: “a really important reason to use condoms on a consistent and correct basis with all of your partners.”
Curiously, Doulgas fails to note that previous figures indicated a HSV-2 pandemic of 20% to 25% of the overall adult population. This actually means that fewer people are getting infected and that this "HSV-2 pandemic" is actually receding. Funny how one can play with the headlines, isn't it?
A study by the University of Illinois to be published in the May 2010edition of Brain, Behavior & Immunity shows soluble fibers have an important effect on the immune system. |
