PapersFlow Research Brief
Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
Research Guide
What is Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments?
Herpesvirus infections and treatments refer to diseases caused by viruses in the Herpesviridae family, such as herpes simplex virus (HSV-1, HSV-2) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and the therapeutic interventions including vaccines and antivirals that manage their acute and latent manifestations.
Research on herpesvirus infections and treatments encompasses over 116,092 works addressing pathogens like VZV and HSV. A key study, "A Vaccine to Prevent Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults" (2005), demonstrated that the zoster vaccine markedly reduced morbidity from herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia among older adults, with 2383 citations. Ongoing developments include monoclonal antibodies and helicase-primase inhibitors targeting recurrent HSV infections.
Research Sub-Topics
Herpes Zoster Vaccination Efficacy
Herpes Zoster Vaccination Efficacy studies vaccines like Zostavax and Shingrix preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. Researchers conduct RCTs and real-world effectiveness studies in older adults and immunocompromised populations.
Antiviral Therapy for Herpes Simplex Virus
Antiviral Therapy for Herpes Simplex Virus evaluates acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir for HSV-1/2 infections. Researchers investigate resistance patterns, suppressive therapy for genital herpes, and neonatal HSV management.
Cytomegalovirus Pathogenesis in Immunocompromised Hosts
Cytomegalovirus Pathogenesis in Immunocompromised Hosts examines CMV disease in transplant recipients and HIV patients. Researchers study viral kinetics, immune evasion, and biomarkers predicting end-organ disease.
Epstein-Barr Virus Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Epstein-Barr Virus Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorders covers EBV-driven lymphomas in transplant and HIV contexts. Researchers investigate rituximab therapy, adoptive T-cell approaches, and viral latency mechanisms.
Antiviral Drug Resistance in Human Herpesviruses
Antiviral Drug Resistance in Human Herpesviruses analyzes mutations conferring resistance to nucleoside analogs. Researchers develop resistance surveillance, novel inhibitors like letermovir, and combination therapy strategies.
Why It Matters
Herpesvirus infections impose substantial morbidity, particularly in older adults and immunocompromised individuals, where VZV causes herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia. Oxman et al. (2005) in "A Vaccine to Prevent Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults" showed the zoster vaccine reduced these conditions' burden in a trial of older adults. Recent advances include Aicuris's pritelivir, which met its Phase III primary endpoint for HSV treatment versus valacyclovir and foscarnet, earning FDA breakthrough designation, and Gilead's licensing of ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 for recurrent genital herpes, addressing limitations of nucleoside analogues.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"A Vaccine to Prevent Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults" (Oxman et al., 2005) is the starting point for beginners, as it provides foundational evidence on VZV vaccine efficacy in reducing herpes zoster morbidity in older adults, with a clear clinical trial abstract.
Key Papers Explained
Oxman et al. (2005) in "A Vaccine to Prevent Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults" established VZV vaccine efficacy (2383 citations), building toward modern antivirals; this connects to recent preprints like the MATCH-2 trial on HDIT101 monoclonal antibodies for HSV-2, which addresses limitations of nucleoside analogues; pritelivir Phase III results (Aicuris, 2025) further extend this by targeting resistant HSV with a novel mechanism, met primary endpoint versus valacyclovir.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current frontiers include monoclonal antibody therapy in the MATCH-2 phase 2 trial for chronic HSV-2 (2025), broadly neutralizing antibodies inhibiting gB-mediated fusion across alphaherpesviruses (2025 preprint), and Gilead's licensing of ABI-1179/ABI-5366 helicase-primase inhibitors (2025); Alfasigma's €125M deal for injectable HSV encephalitis treatment (2026) and pritelivir Phase III success (2025) highlight ongoing clinical translation.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toxoplasma gondii: from animals to humans | 2000 | International Journal ... | 3.7K | ✕ |
| 2 | Toxoplasmosis | 2004 | The Lancet | 3.2K | ✕ |
| 3 | Cancer Regression and Autoimmunity in Patients After Clonal Re... | 2002 | Science | 2.8K | ✓ |
| 4 | The Minimal Gene Complement of <i>Mycoplasma genitalium</i> | 1995 | Science | 2.5K | ✕ |
| 5 | A Vaccine to Prevent Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia ... | 2005 | New England Journal of... | 2.4K | ✓ |
| 6 | Isolation of a human gene that inhibits HIV-1 infection and is... | 2002 | Nature | 2.3K | ✕ |
| 7 | Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2010 | 2011 | Annals of Emergency Me... | 2.1K | ✓ |
| 8 | Monkeypox Virus Infection in Humans across 16 Countries — Apri... | 2022 | New England Journal of... | 2.1K | ✓ |
| 9 | Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases | 1989 | Archives of Dermatology | 1.9K | ✕ |
| 10 | Molecular Biology and Pathogenicity of Mycoplasmas | 1998 | Microbiology and Molec... | 1.9K | ✓ |
In the News
Alfasigma pens €125M deal for injectable form of HSV ...
Italian pharma Alfasigma has penned a 125 million euro ($145 million) deal for the rights to an injectable form of an investigational herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis treatment.
Aicuris Announces Pritelivir Met Primary Endpoint in ...
signs of clinical efficacy compared to standard-of-care treatments like valacyclovir and foscarnet. Based on the earlier clinical trial results, pritelivir received FDA breakthrough designation. In...
Aicuris announces Phase III trial results of HSV treatment
Biotechnology company Aicuris Anti-Infective Cures AG has announced its Phase III trial of pritelivir, a treatment for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), has reached its primary endpoint.
Gilead Sciences Exercises Option to License Assembly Biosciences’ Helicase-Primase Inhibitor Programs for Recurrent Genital Herpes
license Assembly Bio’s herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase inhibitor programs, including long-acting investigational candidates ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 for recurrent genital herpes. These rep...
IDWeek 2025: pritelivir to address gap in market for HSV ...
Aicuris’s pritelivir is a small molecule with a novel mechanism of action and strong potential to address some of these limitations. The US Food and Drugs Administration has granted pritelivir brea...
Code & Tools
``` 2. Herpesvirus Infections (e.g., HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV)
Tests codecov CodeFactor Code style: black Hermes 📯is a package to handle the communication between workflows and CG.
#### System design and implementation
This specification is implemented via the DataHarmonizer, a CIDGOH tool for applying the specification. Accompanying **Field** and **Term reference...
# WHO SMART ICVP This is a DRAFT SMART Guideline for International certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis ## Publication
Recent Preprints
Safety and efficacy of monoclonal antibody therapy in patients with chronic herpes simplex virus-2 genital infections: MATCH-2, a randomized double-blinded, parallel-group phase 2 multi-center trial - PubMed
Frequent anogenital recurrences in Herpes-Simplex-Virus type 2 (HSV-2) infected individuals remain a global health challenge. Nucleoside analogues, with limited clinical efficacy, have been the sta...
A broadly neutralizing antibody confers cross-genus protection against alphaherpesviruses by inhibiting gB-mediated membrane fusion
The global prevalence and disease burden of alphaherpesviruses infections, including human-infecting viruses such as HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV, as well as animal-infecting viruses like PRV, BHV, CHV, a...
amenamevir: a breakthrough in herpesvirus therapy
ISSN: 2 320-5 407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 12( 12), 965-9 69 969 Conclusion:- Amenamevir o ffers a pr omising new approach for m anaging herpesvirus infections, particularly in patients with recurrent o r...
Herpes virus - Latest research and news
Herpesvirus is an infectious agent belonging to the virus family Herpesviridae that causes latent and lytic infections in a wide range of animals and humans. There are 8 herpesvirus types currently...
A nanobody against herpes | 2025 | News and Press
**Burning, blisters, pain: More than 40 million people worldwide are infected with the herpes virus every year. The virus can pose a serious threat to newborns and people with weakened immune syste...
Latest Developments
Recent research developments in herpesvirus infections and treatments include promising phase III trial results for the antiviral drug pritelivir, developed by Aicuris, which has shown superior efficacy against HSV-1 and HSV-2 in immunocompromised patients as of October 2025 (DDW, Contagion Live). Additionally, advancements include the development of herpes vaccine candidates, such as mRNA-1608, which entered Phase 1 studies in September 2023 (Vax-Before-Travel), and ongoing research into gene editing techniques like CRISPR to reduce viral load and shedding (MDPI, Nature). Furthermore, efforts are underway to address limitations of current antivirals like acyclovir and to develop potent new therapies, with recent studies published in October 2025 (Nature Communications).
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
What vaccine prevents herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia?
The zoster vaccine markedly reduced morbidity from herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia among older adults. "A Vaccine to Prevent Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults" (Oxman et al., 2005) reported this efficacy in a clinical trial. The vaccine targets VZV reactivation.
How does pritelivir treat HSV infections?
Pritelivir met its Phase III primary endpoint for HSV treatment, showing clinical efficacy compared to valacyclovir and foscarnet. Aicuris announced these results in 2025, with FDA breakthrough therapy designation granted. It addresses gaps in standard nucleoside analogue therapy.
What are recent monoclonal antibody approaches for HSV-2?
The MATCH-2 phase 2 trial evaluated HDIT101, a humanized monoclonal antibody, for chronic HSV-2 genital infections. It offers a first-in-class biologic alternative to nucleoside analogues for frequent recurrences. Results from this randomized double-blinded multi-center trial were reported in 2025.
What is amenamevir's mechanism in herpesvirus therapy?
Amenamevir targets the helicase-primase complex to disrupt viral DNA replication. It provides an alternative for recurrent or resistant herpesvirus cases. A 2025 preprint described it as a promising new approach.
What nanobody development targets herpesvirus?
Researchers generated a mini-antibody that neutralizes a protein essential for herpes infection. This nanobody addresses threats to newborns and immunocompromised patients. Findings were published in 2025 from Hamburg and Göttingen teams.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can broadly neutralizing antibodies achieve cross-genus protection against alphaherpesviruses like HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV?
- ? What long-term safety and efficacy profiles emerge from phase 3 trials of helicase-primase inhibitors like pritelivir for acyclovir-resistant HSV?
- ? Can nanobodies or monoclonal antibodies like HDIT101 supplant nucleoside analogues for preventing recurrent genital HSV-2 infections?
- ? Which formulations optimize injectable HSV encephalitis treatments, as in Alfasigma's €125M deal?
- ? How do novel antivirals like ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 reduce recurrence rates in genital herpes compared to current standards?
Recent Trends
Phase III trial results for pritelivir met the primary endpoint for HSV treatment (Aicuris, October 2025), earning FDA breakthrough designation; Gilead exercised options for Assembly Biosciences’ ABI-1179 and ABI-5366 helicase-primase inhibitors for recurrent genital herpes (December 2025); the MATCH-2 phase 2 trial tested HDIT101 monoclonal antibody safety and efficacy in chronic HSV-2 infections (October 2025); Alfasigma secured a €125M deal for an injectable HSV encephalitis treatment (January 2026).
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