The FDA has approved an oral drug from Asahi Kasei for the treatment of mucotaneous lesions caused by an infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV) in adults with a weakened immune system.
Hovilpri (pritelivir) tablets will be available to patients with both HSV-1 and HSV-2 who have not seen an improvement with other therapies including acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. Persistent lesions are common in patients with a compromised immune system, as the virus may be resistant or patients may be unable to tolerate side effects from medications. This often results in more frequent or serious outbreaks.
Approval for Hovilpri is based on the phase 3 PRIOH-1 trial, in which immunocompromised participants received either the drug or another available treatment. After 28 days, lesions were completely healed in 63% of the participants receiving Hovilpri, compared to in 24% of participants receiving another treatment.