[Antiherpetic activity of xylure]

In vivo experiments demonstrated antiherpetic activity of abnormal nucleoside, 5-trimethylsylil-2'-deoxyuridine alpha-anomer. In a model of herpetic encephalitis in cotton rats the preparation, inoculated intraperitoneally and administered orally, reduced the lethality by 25%-30% as compared with the controls, and also was effective in topical treatment of genital herpes in guinea pigs. Low toxicity, clear-cut antiherpetic activity, favourable metabolic properties as compared with known antiherpetic drugs indicate the necessity of further thorough investigation of this preparation.