DFDA

Famciclovir

Treatment for Shingles

Typical Dosage: 500 mg three times daily for 7 days

Effectiveness
90%
Safety Score
75%
Clinical Trials
5
Participants
30K

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
75
DangerousModerateSafe
Treatment Details
Dosage Range
500 mg three times daily for 7 days
Time to Effect
1-3 days for symptom improvement
Treatment Duration
7 days
Evidence Quality
HIGH
Number Needed to Treat (NNT)
9(Treat 9 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:$30
Monitoring:$50
Side Effect Mgmt:$10
Total Annual:$90
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Cost-Effectiveness Rating
EXCELLENT
ICER
$27,000/QALY
QALYs Gained
0.07
Outcome-Based Costs
Cost per Responder
$105.88
Cost per Remission
$120
Comparison vs Acyclovir
Cost Difference
+$15/year
More expensive
QALY Difference
+0.01 QALYs
Better outcomes
Dominance
No dominance
Prescription Access Economics
Annual Societal Loss per Patient
$-305
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
$30/year
Potential OTC Price
$15/year
Estimated if OTC available
Early Treatment Benefit
+0.02 QALYs
From faster OTC access
Risk Assessment
Misuse Risk
LOW
Missed Diagnosis Risk
MODERATE
Famciclovir Outcomes

for Shingles

Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+90%
Response Rate
+85%
Remission Rate
+75%
Common Side Effects
Headache
+18%
Nausea
+12%
Diarrhea
+8%
Fatigue
+7%

Sources:

nih.gov
oup.com
cancernetwork.com

WARNING: LIMITED TRIALS AVAILABLE

You can search for trials, but you probably can't join any because the 1% Treaty hasn't passed yet. Most trials are severely limited by lack of funding and bureaucratic barriers. Help change this!

Active Clinical Trials
2 active trials recruiting for Famciclovir in Shingles

Efficacy and Safety of Brivudine in the Treatment of Herpes Zoster

NCT07099157RECRUITINGPHASE4
View Study
140 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Beijing, China +3 more
Started: Aug 25, 2025

Multimodal Nerve Block and Pulse Radiofrequency for Acute Herpes Zoster Pain

NCT06798662NOT YET RECRUITINGNA
View Study
120 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Baotou, China
Started: Feb 1, 2025
Completed Clinical Trials
2 completed trials for Famciclovir in Shingles

Efficacy of Oral Famciclovir Versus Aciclovir Treatment in Patients With Herpes Zoster

NCT01327144COMPLETEDPHASE3
View Study
177 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Porto Alegre, Brazil +4 more
Started: Jun 1, 2012

Famciclovir Oral Pediatric Formulation in Children 1-12 Years of Age With Varicella Zoster Infection

NCT00098046COMPLETEDPHASE3
View Study
76 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
New York, United States +4 more
Started: Jul 1, 2005