[Comparative studies of the sensitizing capacity of drugs used in herpes simplex]

Experimental sensitization of guinea pigs with 9 commonly used or still tested antiviral drugs revealed a very low sensitizing power for these when compared with tromantadine. In a former investigation tromantadine had been shown to be a moderate sensitizer. While ethoxyuridine, bromovinyl deoxyuridine and phosphono formiate gave no response in the animals, aciclovir, vidarabine, idoxuridine, trifluorothymidine, proclu and an extract of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) only induced weak reactions in the guinea pigs. Thus these drugs only bear a low risk of sensitization if compared with tromantadine. The findings are in good accordance with the low number of observed clinical cases. Allergic reactions to idoxuridine which occasionally might occur may be encountered by effective treatment with aciclovir or vidarabine as no cross-reactivities seem to exist.