Acyclovir
Treatment for Shingles
Typical Dosage: 800 mg five times daily for 7-10 days
Effectiveness
85%
Safety Score
75%
Clinical Trials
31
Participants
50K
Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)
Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
75
DangerousModerateSafe
Treatment Details
Dosage Range
800 mg five times daily for 7-10 days
Time to Effect
1-3 days for symptom improvement
Treatment Duration
7-10 days
Evidence Quality
HIGHNumber Needed to Treat (NNT)
11(Treat 11 patients to see 1 additional successful outcome)
Number Needed to Harm (NNH)
100(Treat 100 patients to see 1 additional serious adverse event)
Confidence Score
95%confidence in effectiveness data
Health Economics
Annual Cost of Care
Drug Cost:$15
Monitoring:$50
Side Effect Mgmt:$10
Total Annual:$75
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Cost-Effectiveness Rating
EXCELLENTICER
$15,000/QALY
QALYs Gained
0.06
Outcome-Based Costs
Cost per Responder
$93.75
Cost per Remission
$107.14
Comparison vs Valacyclovir
Cost Difference
$-15/year
Less expensive
QALY Difference
-0.01 QALYs
Worse outcomes
Dominance
No dominance
Prescription Access Economics
Annual Societal Loss per Patient
$-312.5
Cost of prescription-only barriers (visits, time, admin, price premium)
Physician Visit Cost
$120/year
Time Cost
$40/year
Travel + wait time
Insurance Admin Cost
$20/year
Prior auth, claims
Rx Price
$15/year
Potential OTC Price
$7.5/year
Estimated if OTC available
Early Treatment Benefit
+0.02 QALYs
From faster OTC access
Risk Assessment
Misuse Risk
LOWMissed Diagnosis Risk
MODERATEAcyclovir Outcomes
for Shingles
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+85%
Response Rate
+80%
Remission Rate
+70%
Common Side Effects
Nausea
+12%
Headache
+12%
Vomiting
+8%
Diarrhea
+8%
Active Clinical Trials
2 active trials recruiting for Acyclovir in Shingles
Ultrasound Guided Serratus Anterior Versus Erector Spinae Block in Pain Alleviation in Acute Herpes Zoster
NCT06476080NOT YET RECRUITINGNA
120 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Started: Jul 5, 2024
Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous Acyclovir in Oncologic Paediatric Patients
NCT05198570RECRUITING
200 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
Trieste, Italy
Started: Sep 15, 2021
Completed Clinical Trials
14 completed trials for Acyclovir in Shingles
Efficacy of Oral Famciclovir Versus Aciclovir Treatment in Patients With Herpes Zoster
NCT01327144COMPLETEDPHASE3
177 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Porto Alegre, Brazil +4 more
Started: Jun 1, 2012
Efficacy and Safety of Foscarnet Sodium and Sodium Chloride Injection in Patients With Herpes Zoster
NCT02151240COMPLETEDPHASE4
94 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Beijing, China
Started: May 1, 2014
Long-Term Oral Acyclovir Usage to Prevent Herpes Zoster Virus Infection After Bone Marrow Transplant
NCT00209352COMPLETEDPHASE3
120 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Seattle, United States
Started: Jun 1, 1985
A Comparison of 882C87 Versus Acyclovir in the Treatment of Herpes Zoster in Patients With Weakened Immune Systems
NCT00002315COMPLETEDPHASE3
400 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Birmingham, United States +24 more
Comparison of Brovavir Versus Acyclovir in the Treatment of Herpes in HIV-Infected Patients
NCT00000953COMPLETEDPHASE2
180 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Birmingham, United States +43 more
A Study of FV-100 Versus Valacyclovir in Patients With Herpes Zoster
NCT00900783COMPLETEDPHASE2
350 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Started: May 1, 2009
A Study Exploring Efficacy of Peginterferon in Patients With Herpes Zoster
NCT05492591COMPLETEDPHASE2
50 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Nanjing, China
Started: Oct 11, 2022
Zoster Eye Disease Study
NCT03134196COMPLETEDPHASE4
527 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Birmingham, United States +77 more
Started: Aug 23, 2017
A Phase 2b Trial of EPB-348 for the Treatment of Herpes Zoster
NCT00831103COMPLETEDPHASE2
373 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Houston, United States
Started: Nov 1, 2007
Valacyclovir in Immunocompromised Children
NCT00059592COMPLETEDPHASE1
37 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Philadelphia, United States +1 more
Started: Apr 7, 1998
Dose-finding Study of ASP2151 in Subjects With Herpes Zoster
NCT00487682COMPLETEDPHASE2
403 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Chūbu, Japan +4 more
Started: Nov 13, 2007
Phase III Study of ASP2151 in Herpes Zoster Patients
NCT01959841COMPLETEDPHASE3
751 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Sapporo, Japan +2 more
Started: Aug 1, 2013
Bioequivalency Study of Valacyclovir Hydrochloride 1000 mg Under Fasting Conditions
NCT01132729COMPLETEDNA
48 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Fargo, United States
Started: Sep 1, 2006
Bioequivalency Study of Valacyclovir Hydrochloride 1000 mg Under Fed Conditions
NCT01132716COMPLETEDNA
48 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Fargo, United States
Started: Sep 1, 2006
Showing 20 of 31 total trials