Current management and recommendations for access to antiviral therapy of herpes labialis.

Herpes labialis is a common skin infective condition, worldwide, which is primarily caused by HSV-1. Recurrent episodes of herpes labialis, also known as cold sores, can be frequent, painful, long-lasting and disfiguring for infected patients. At present, there are two types of antivirals for the treatment of herpes labialis, topical and oral, which are available over the counter or as prescription-only. The aim of antiviral therapy is to block viral replication to enable shortening the duration of symptoms and to accelerate healing of the lesions associated with herpes labialis. This review examines the evidence for the effectiveness of current topical and oral antivirals in the management of recurrent episodes of herpes labialis. In most countries, oral antivirals for herpes labialis are available as prescription-only. However, in early 2010, the oral antiviral famciclovir was reclassified from prescription-only medicine to pharmacist-controlled status in New Zealand. The benefits and risks associated with moving an antiviral therapy for herpes labialis from prescription-only to pharmacist-controlled status are reviewed here, and the implications for patients, general physicians and pharmacists are considered.

Stability-indicating methods for the determination of famciclovir in the presence of its alkaline-induced degradation product.

Five sensitive, selective and precise stability-indicating methods are presented for the determination of famciclovir (FCV) in the presence of its alkaline-induced degradation product. Method A utilizes the first derivative spectrophotometry at 321 nm. Method B depends on using the first derivative of the ratio spectrophotometry (DD(1)) by measurement of the amplitude at 256 nm. Method C is based on the reaction of FCV with hydroxylamine to form hydroxamic acid, causing the hydroxamic acid to react with triferric ion to form ferric hydroxamate that is measured at 503 nm. Method D is based on the separation of FCV from its degradation product followed by densitometric measurement of the bands at 304 nm. The separation was carried out on silica gel 60 F(254), using chloroform: methanol (70:30, v/v) as a mobile phase. Method E is based on a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation of FCV from its degradation product using an ODS column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol-50 mM dipotassium hydrogen phosphate (25:75, v/v, pH 3.0)with UV detection at 304 nm. Regression analysis showed good correlation in the concentration ranges 16-72 microg/ml, 40-240 microg/ml, 40-240 microg/ml, 0.75-5.25 microg/band and 20-240 microg/ml with percentage recoveries of 99.65 +/- 0.85, 100.27 +/- 0.91, 99.72 +/- 0.84, 100.65 +/- 1.52 and 99.88 +/- 0.50 for methods A, B, C, D and E, respectively. These methods are suitable as stability-indicating methods for the determination of FCV in the presence of its degradation product either in bulk powder or in pharmaceutical formulation. Statistical analysis of the results has been carried out revealing high accuracy and good precision.