Ruvidar™ Found Effective in Destroying Herpes Simplex Virus

Without a herpes preventive vaccine available in 2024, post-infection treatments offer patients their best option.

Over the past few years, an antiviral drug named Acyclovir has been used to slow the spreading and lessen the symptoms of the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) virus.

However, Acyclovir will not cure herpes.

To address this need, Theralase® Technologies Inc. today announced that its lead drug formulation, Ruvidar™, could be more effective in destroying HSV-1 than Acyclovir.

Another important pre-clinical observation is that Acyclovir could not prevent HSV-1 replication if added one day after infection. However, Ruvidar prevented HSV-1 replication by ten million-fold when added one day after infection.

In other words, from a clinical perspective, if a patient has pre-existing HSV-1, then Acyclovir could not prevent the virus' replication; however, Ruvidar TM would be highly effective, the company wrote on September 3, 2024.

Roger DuMoulin-White, B.E.Sc., P.Eng., Pro.Dir., President and Chief Executive Officer of Theralase, stated in a press release, “This latest research continues to strengthen what we already know; Ruvidar is a very potent drug in the destruction of cancer, viruses, and bacteria on its own and is further enhanced by light, radiation, sound or drug activation."

"Based on this latest research, Theralase® plans to commence seeking a partner/licensing opportunity in the development of Ruvidar™ for both a topical and oral treatment for the prevention and treatment of herpes simplex.“

In previous research, Ruvidar was found effective at inactivating both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.