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

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.