A study on the effects of an HIV treatment on the herpes virus has been published. Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Barcelona have discovered that Raltegravir (Isentress) the HIV treatment manufactured by Merck, is also successful killing off one of the herpes viruses.
The medication works by inhibiting the action of a protein involved in the replication of the herpes virus. Now scientists are in a promising position regarding the development of a drug that may kill all types of herpes virus considering the fact that all of the herpes viruses contain this protein. Pathogens of the herpes virus include herpes simplex I and II, the virus that causes chickenpox and the Epstein-Barr virus, which is linked to many types of cancer.
Humans do not have the viral protein that is affected by the drug. This means that the drug is unlikely to have any other effects on the body and additionally, the inhibitor is not toxic with the correct dosage and it is already licensed and regulated.
The study set out to develop a drug that could combat the herpes viruses. With the knowledge that all herpes viruses have this protein, there is a great possibility of developing one drug that can cure all types of herpes viruses.