The Effect of High-Dose, Short-Term Amenamevir Therapy before Skin Lesion Onset in a Mouse Model of Cutaneous Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection
Abstract
Amenamevir (AMNV) is a helicase-primase inhibitor antiviral drug used to treat herpes simplex infections, such as herpes labialis and genital herpes, which are caused by reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus (HSV) in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Patient-initiated therapy (PIT), in which patients self-administer high-dose antiviral drugs for a short term before rash onset, is a useful treatment strategy for recurrent herpes labialis and genital herpes. However, the efficacy of AMNV administered as PIT on HSV viral loads in the DRG remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of high-dose, short-term AMNV therapy on skin lesions and viral loads in the DRG using a mouse model of cutaneous HSV type 1 infection. HSV type 1 was percutaneously inoculated into the femoral region of mice. AMNV was orally administered either once daily for 2 d before rash onset or twice daily for 5 d after onset. Vidarabine was topically administered twice daily for 5 d after rash onset. Viral load in the DRG was quantified by quantitative PCR. High-dose, short-term AMNV therapy administered before rash onset significantly inhibited the development of skin lesions and reduced viral load compared with low-dose, long-term AMNV therapy and topical vidarabine treatment administered after onset. These results demonstrate that high-dose, short-term AMNV therapy administered before rash onset was associated with reduced viral load in the DRG and suppression of skin lesion development, supporting the need for early intervention with adequate antiviral exposure.
Related
- Amenamevir Transfer into Breast Milk in Patients with Herpes Simplex Virus Infection: A Brief Report of a Prospective Multicenter Study
- Cutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium szulgai associated with biologic therapy
- C5-Predominant Segmental Zoster Paresis Presenting With Right Shoulder Abduction Weakness Before Cutaneous Eruption: A Case Report
- Routine Clinical Nemolizumab Use Before or After Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Diagnosis
- Association between herpes simplex virus infection and cardiometabolic diseases: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BibTeX
@article{osaki2026effect,
title = {{The Effect of High-Dose, Short-Term Amenamevir Therapy before Skin Lesion Onset in a Mouse Model of Cutaneous Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection}},
author = {Miho Osaki and Keisuke Tabara and Maki Okamura and Koji Ikukawa and Mai Okuyama and Akiko Kawabata and Tomomi Shigeno and Yuhki Ueda},
journal = {Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1248/bpb.b26-00171},
url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/49/10/49_b26-00171/_article},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Effect of High-Dose, Short-Term Amenamevir Therapy before Skin Lesion Onset in a Mouse Model of Cutaneous Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection
AU - Miho Osaki
AU - Keisuke Tabara
AU - Maki Okamura
AU - Koji Ikukawa
AU - Mai Okuyama
AU - Akiko Kawabata
AU - Tomomi Shigeno
AU - Yuhki Ueda
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
DO - 10.1248/bpb.b26-00171
UR - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/49/10/49_b26-00171/_article
AB - Amenamevir (AMNV) is a helicase-primase inhibitor antiviral drug used to treat herpes simplex infections, such as herpes labialis and genital herpes, which are caused by reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus (HSV) in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Patient-initiated therapy (PIT), in which patients self-administer high-dose antiviral drugs for a short term before rash onset, is a useful treatment strategy for recurrent herpes labialis and genital herpes. However, the efficacy of AMNV administered as PIT on HSV viral loads in the DRG remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of high-dose, short-term AMNV therapy on skin lesions and viral loads in the DRG using a mouse model of cutaneous HSV type 1 infection. HSV type 1 was percutaneously inoculated into the femoral region of mice. AMNV was orally administered either once daily for 2 d before rash onset or twice daily for 5 d after onset. Vidarabine was topically administered twice daily for 5 d after rash onset. Viral load in the DRG was quantified by quantitative PCR. High-dose, short-term AMNV therapy administered before rash onset significantly inhibited the development of skin lesions and reduced viral load compared with low-dose, long-term AMNV therapy and topical vidarabine treatment administered after onset. These results demonstrate that high-dose, short-term AMNV therapy administered before rash onset was associated with reduced viral load in the DRG and suppression of skin lesion development, supporting the need for early intervention with adequate antiviral exposure.
SN - 1347-5215
SN - 0918-6158
ER -