A guanine analogue antiviral drug used for the treatment of various herpesvirus infections, most commonly for herpes zoster.
Trade names Famvir
Oral agent with bioavailability 75–77%, protein binding 20-25%.
Hepatic metabolism.
Biological half-life of 2–2.3 hours.
Excretion by renal and feces.
A guanosine analogue antiviral drug used for the treatment of various herpesvirus infections, most commonly for herpes zoster.
It is a prodrug form of penciclovir.
Indicated for the treatment of herpes zoster, treatment of herpes simplex virus 2 , herpes labialis in immunocompetent patients and for the suppression of recurring episodes of herpes simplex virus 2.
Indicated for treatment of recurrent episodes of herpes simplex in HIV patients.
Oral tablet in 125 mg, 250 mg, and 500 mg dosage forms.
To treat herpes zoster, Famciclovir is taken 500 mg every 8 hours for 7 days.
To treat genital herpes it is taken twice a day for 5 days.
To treat herpes labialis it is given as a single 1500 mg oral dose..
Side effects include: stomach upset, headaches, mild fever.
Early treatment with famciclovir soon after the first infection with herpes can significantly lower the chance of future outbreaks.
Patients treated for five days with famciclovir 250 mg three time daily during their first herpes episode found that only 4.2 percent experienced a recurrence within six months after the first outbreak, a fivefold decrease compared to the 19 percent recurrence in acyclovir-treated patients.
Long-term treatment with valaciclovir is more effective than famciclovir at suppressing latent viral shedding.
Post-exposure prophylaxis reduces the amount of latent virus in the neural ganglia.