Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Rapid Screening of HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase Inhibitors
Published on: April 9, 2014
Foscarnet therapy for severe acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type-2 infections in patients with the acquired
K S Erlich1, M A Jacobson, J E Koehler
1University of California, San Francisco.
Study Objective:
To determine whether trisodium phosphonoformate (foscarnet) is efficacious in treating severe mucocutaneous disease due to acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) infection in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Design:
Open-labeled drug administration to patients with AIDS and severe ulcerative disease due to acyclovir-resistant HSV-2 infection.
Setting:
Medical floors of acute care hospital.
Patients:
Four patients with AIDS who developed progressive ulcerative mucocutaneous lesions of the genitals, perineum, perianal region, or finger due to acyclovir-resistant, thymidine-kinase (TK)-negative strains of HSV-2.
Intervention:
Foscarnet, 60 mg/kg body weight intravenously every 8 hours (with reduced dosage for renal impairment), for 12 to 50 days.
Measurement And Main Results:
All patients receiving foscarnet had dramatic improvement in their clinical findings with marked clearing of mucocutaneous lesions and eradication of HSV from mucosal surfaces.
Conclusion:
Foscarnet may be an effective treatment for severe mucocutaneous disease due to acyclovir-resistant, TK-negative strains of HSV-2.
Related Concept Videos
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Herpes
Cytomegalovirus Disease
Genital Herpes
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors

