NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Published Studies Related to Vira-A (Vidarabine Topical)
Antiviral agents for treatment of herpes simplex virus infection in neonates. [2009.07.08]
CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient trial evidence to evaluate the effects of antiviral agents with controls or with each other. The rarity of the condition makes effectively powered clinical trials difficult to perform. The efficacy of newer antiviral agents with better bioavailability (e.g. valaciclovir, valganciclovir) for the treatment of neonatal disease needs to be evaluated in randomised trials. The efficacy of oral formulations need to be evaluated as they may be useful for infants with skin, eye or mouth HSV disease or in the treatment of infants with recurrences after the neonatal period.
Disseminated herpes zoster in the immunocompromised host: a comparative trial of acyclovir and vidarabine. The NIAID Collaborative Antiviral Study Group. [1992.03]
Seventy-three immunocompromised patients with disseminated herpes zoster were evaluated in a double-blind controlled trial of acyclovir (n = 37) versus vidarabine (n = 36) therapy. Acyclovir was administered at 30 mg/kg/day at 8-h intervals and vidarabine was given as a continuous 12-h infusion at 10 mg/kg/day for 7 days (longer if resolution of cutaneous or visceral disease was incomplete)...
A controlled trial comparing foscarnet with vidarabine for acyclovir-resistant mucocutaneous herpes simplex in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The AIDS Clinical Trials Group. [1991.08.22]
BACKGROUND AND METHODS... Once the treatment is stopped, however; there is a high frequency of relapse.
A controlled trial comparing vidarabine with acyclovir in neonatal herpes simplex virus infection. Infectious Diseases Collaborative Antiviral Study Group. [1991.02.14]
BACKGROUND.The study lacked statistical power to determine whether there were sizable differences within the subgroups of those with localized HSV, encephalitis, or disseminated disease.
Current therapy of varicella zoster virus infection in immunocompromised patients. A comparison of acyclovir and vidarabine. [1988.08.29]
Both acyclovir and vidarabine are effective treatment for varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in immunosuppressed patients. To determine which is preferable, therapy with these two agents was compared in a prospective, randomized trial...
Clinical Trials Related to Vira-A (Vidarabine Topical)
Comparison of Foscarnet Versus Vidarabine in the Treatment of Herpes Infection in Patients With AIDS Who Have Not Had Success With Acyclovir [Completed]
To compare the safety and effectiveness of foscarnet and vidarabine treatments for AIDS
patients who have herpes simplex virus infections that are resistant to standard treatment
with acyclovir.
Foscarnet is a drug that inhibits viruses and has been shown to be effective against
infection with Cytomegalovirus and also against infection with the Herpes simplex virus in
several patients with AIDS. Vidarabine has been shown to have activity against the Herpes
simplex virus in patients who do not have AIDS, but it has not been studied in patients who
do have AIDS. This study compares foscarnet and vidarabine treatments for AIDS patients who
have herpes simplex infection that has not responded to therapy with acyclovir in the hope
that one of these two drugs will help to stop further progression of the herpes simplex
infection and may have fewer side effects.
Effects of Age on Response to the 2009 H1N1 Virus Vaccine [Recruiting]
Unlike most influenza viruses, the 2009 H1N1 virus has affected people between 5 and 40
years old more often than people 60 years old or older. It may be that older people have had
greater exposure to previous strains of H1N1 influenza, and this previous exposure protects
them from infection. This study will examine how older people respond to a version of the
H1N1 virus vaccine that includes a live, noninfectious version of the virus.
Surveillance of Influenza Virus Shedding and Immunologic Response in Immunocompromised Children and Young Adults [Recruiting]
Influenza virus infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The limited
existing knowledge about the impact of influenza in immunocompromised patients suggests that
they are at increased risk of influenza virus acquisition, of developing complications and
of prolonged illness and viral shedding. However, some other data about the effect of
antiviral agents on the infection course, and risk of resistance in immunocompromised
children are lacking. The emergence of the pandemic H1N1 swine-origin influenza A virus has
generated an additional need to study the epidemiology, clinical course and outcome of
influenza infections in immunocompromised children. This study proposed to conduct a
prospective observational clinical study to answer these questions.
A Study to Assess the Safety of Live Intranasal Sendai Virus Vaccine in Children and Toddlers [Recruiting]
Croup is an illness of young children that is caused by a virus. With this illness, the
child has fever, cough, and hoarseness. Although the illness usually gets better in 2 to 4
days, some children may be admitted to the hospital and a few infants may require an
intervention to help their breathing. This illness is most often caused by a virus called
parainfluenza virus type 1, but it can be caused by other viruses. The experimental vaccine
that is being investigated in this study is intended to try to prevent croup caused by
parainfluenza virus type 1. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent this virus, or
medications available to treat the illness once infection has occurred.
This research study is testing a new experimental live-virus vaccine that is given by
placing liquid drops in the nose. The Sendai virus is very similar to the virus that causes
croup, but it has never been found to cause illness in people. Previous studies in animals
have shown that the vaccine provided protection against the croup virus, and did not cause
illness. Many people have been exposed to the Sendai virus, but no one has been known to
develop illness. Several healthy adults have been given the Sendai virus vaccine being
studied, and they did not experience any serious side effects or illness.
Virus Shedding and Environmental Deposition of a Novel Influenza Virus [Recruiting]
An influenza pandemic has recently been declared, involving the novel A(H1N1) 'swine flu'
virus. This has spread to almost 100 countries worldwide in less than two months, causing
widespread disease so far in Mexico, USA and Canada. It is highly likely that over the next
12 months, many countries including the UK will be affected by widespread illness. In the UK
this wave of intense flu activity is most likely to occur in late autumn 2009.
Very little is known about the new H1N1 pandemic virus. For example we do not know how long
the virus is excreted by infected humans and how much virus is spread to surfaces and
carried in the air. This is very important to know as soon as possible because it affects
the advice that will be given to healthcare workers about controlling the spread of
infection to themselves and other patients. Similarly we need this information so we can
give good quality advice to families who will have to look after each other in their own
homes.
The best way to obtain this information is to ask patients who get pandemic flu soon (in
August, September and October) to help us by agreeing to give a daily nose swab sample for
just over one week so we can see how much virus is in the nose day by day and how quickly
this disappears. At the same time we will take samples from hard surfaces in a patient's
room or home and sample the air using a special filter device. We can then work out how much
virus is being excreted, how long the 'danger period' is, whether surfaces are more or less
important than the air that we breathe (in terms of catching the virus) and if we can advise
on a 'safe distance' from the patient, beyond which there is relatively little chance of
catching the illness.
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