Acyclovir Nanofiber Patch vs Cream for Treatment of Recurrent Labial Herpes
Introduction
Acyclovir cream is commonly used for cold sores but has drawbacks like low skin penetration and side effects. The nanofiber patch might offer advantages like improved drug delivery, reduced side effects, and less need for high doses. This study aims to compare their effectiveness in treating recurrent labial herpes.
Aim
To compare the efficacy of acyclovir nanofiber patch with acyclovir cream for treatment of recurrent labial herpes
Patient Profile
Patients diagnosed with recurrent labial herpes. Lesions were diagnosed by an oral medicine specialist. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) recurrent (secondary) not primary lesions, 2) lesions in the vesicular stage (size ≤1 cm).
Methods
- Double-blind three-armed randomized clinical trial
Prescribed drugs were used at the site of the lesion three times a day (after a meal) for 5 days
Study endpoints
Measure symptoms (pain, itching, and burning sensation) at the lesion site and to evaluate the crusting time (from baseline until the formation of crust) and healing time (from baseline until complete disappearance of crust) of lesions following the use of each pharmaceutical formulation.
Results
Mean scores of symptoms
- By the fourth day, all the symptoms had improved in the three groups.
- No significant difference in the symptoms on different treatment days between the three groups
Table 1: Mean symptom scores on treatment days in three study groups
|
|
Acyclovir nanofiber patch |
Placebo nanofiber patch |
Acyclovir cream |
P-value |
|
Baseline |
1.6 (0.7) |
1.5 (0.6) |
1.4 (0.6) |
0.622 |
|
1st Day, Mean (SD) |
1 (0.85) |
1.2 (0.8) |
1.2 (0.7) |
0.745 |
|
2nd Day, Mean (SD) |
0.3 (0.6) |
0.5 (0.5) |
0.5 (0.8)
|
0.45 |
|
3rd Day, Mean (SD) |
0.1 (0.3) |
0.1 (0.4) |
0.1 (0.4) |
0.56 |
|
4th Day, Mean (SD) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NA |
Crusting time
Mean crusting time was 2.3, 2.4, and 2.6 days in the first, second, and third groups, respectively (P = 0.509); not significantly different between the three groups
Healing Time
Mean healing time was 7.4, 7.7, and 7.2 days in the first, second, and third groups, respectively (P = 0.754); not significantly different between the three groups
Conclusion
Acyclovir nanofiber patches are recommended for accelerating symptom relief in recurrent labial herpes; however, they were not effective in shortening the crusting or healing time.
Reference
Clin Exp Dent Res. 2022 Feb;8(1):184-190
