Acyclovir and hydrocortisone cream for the early treatment of recurrent cold sores

Abstract

Current antiviral therapies for herpes simplex labialis primarily reduce healing time. Since the host immune response also plays a role in both controlling recurrent infection as well as producing clinical symptoms, new studies are showing efficacy using topical corticosteroids. This review will evaluate the safety and efficacy of 5% acyclovir-1% hydrocortisone cream (Xerese ™ (US), Xerclear ® (Europe)) for treatment of patients with herpes simplex labialis. A large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study recently demonstrated that treatment with 5% acyclovir-1% hydrocortisone cream significantly decreased the percentage of ulcerative lesions, reduced lesion healing time, and decreased mean lesion area compared with both topical acyclovir alone and vehicle.