New single dose anti-viral for cold sores

Approximately one-third of Australian adults with recurrent cold sore outbreaks can now benefit from the first antiviral tablet treatment for herpes labialis (cold sores).

Single-dose Famvir® (famciclovir 1500 mg statim) - 3 x 500 mg tablets in a single dose - is a novel systemic option for the episodic treatment of herpes labialis that has been shown to reduce the healing time of lesions by approximately two days. The mean duration of untreated classic cold sores is between five and six days (with a range of 2-20 days). Single-dose Famvir (1500 mg statim) is indicated for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores) in immunocompetent adult patients.