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Boucher R, Boutolleau D, Burrel S, Haigh O, Fernandez J, Vauloup-Fellous C, Barreau E, Rousseau A, Labetoulle M. Efficacy and Safety of Amenamevir, a Helicase-Primase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Acyclovir-Resistant Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Keratitis. Cornea 2024:00003226-990000000-00540. [PMID: 38692653 DOI: 10.1097/ico.0000000000003553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to describe the efficacy and tolerance of amenamevir (AMNV), an inhibitor of the viral helicase-primase, for the treatment of recalcitrant herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) caused by acyclovir-resistant (ACVR) herpes simplex virus 1 strains. METHODS In this retrospective case series, 6 consecutive patients with HSK caused by an ACVR herpes simplex virus 1 strain with a failure of conventional antiviral therapy were included after having been treated with AMNV (there was no control group of comparable patients for whom previous treatment would have been continued despite its inefficacy). Medical files were assessed for clinical data including reason(s) for AMNV introduction (frequent recurrences despite appropriate preventive antiviral treatment and/or clinical resistance to suppressive antiviral treatment of an ongoing clinical relapse), genotypical resistance to herpes simplex virus 1 documentation, immune status, clinical types and number of HSK episodes before and during AMNV treatment, adverse effects observed during AMNV treatment, and best corrected visual acuity. RESULTS Of 6 patients, 4 (66%) did not experience a single recurrence during AMNV therapy while 2 others had recurrences (1 over 24 months of treatment and 2 over 23 months, ie two-fold less frequently than with conventional preventive treatment). On the overall history of these 6 patients, AMNV appeared to be associated with a reduction in HSK recurrences, with a mean of only 0.02 ± 0.04 episodes/month during follow-up under AMNV as compared to 0.14 ± 0.04 episodes/month in the year preceding AMNV introduction (P = 0.03). Improvement in vision acuity was also observed (mean best corrected visual acuity 0.17 ± 0.12 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution at the end of follow-up vs. 0.30 ± 0.35 before AMNV onset), albeit nonsignificant probably due to the limited number of patients (P = 0.38). Neither clinical nor biological adverse effects were observed while under AMNV during the follow-up (16.5 ± 5.8 months). CONCLUSIONS Although there was no control group, AMNV may be a valuable option to reduce ACVR HSK recurrences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Boucher
- Service d'Ophtalmologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université Paris-Saclay. Centre de Référence pour les maladies rares en ophtalmologie (OPHTARA), Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Department of Immunology of Viral and Autoimmune Disease (IMVA DSV/iMETI/IDMIT), UMR1184, CEA, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - David Boutolleau
- AP-HP Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Virologie, Centre National de Référence (CNR) Herpèsvirus - Laboratoire associé, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Paris, France
| | - Sonia Burrel
- AP-HP Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Virologie, Centre National de Référence (CNR) Herpèsvirus - Laboratoire associé, Paris, France
- Service de Virologie, Pôle Biologie et Pathologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Oscar Haigh
- Department of Immunology of Viral and Autoimmune Disease (IMVA DSV/iMETI/IDMIT), UMR1184, CEA, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - José Fernandez
- AP-HP Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service de Virologie, Centre National de Référence (CNR) Herpèsvirus - Laboratoire associé, Paris, France
| | - Christelle Vauloup-Fellous
- Department of Virology, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris-Sud University, Villejuif, France
| | - Emmanuel Barreau
- Service d'Ophtalmologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université Paris-Saclay. Centre de Référence pour les maladies rares en ophtalmologie (OPHTARA), Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Antoine Rousseau
- Service d'Ophtalmologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université Paris-Saclay. Centre de Référence pour les maladies rares en ophtalmologie (OPHTARA), Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Department of Immunology of Viral and Autoimmune Disease (IMVA DSV/iMETI/IDMIT), UMR1184, CEA, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Service d'Ophtalmologie, Hôpital National d'Ophtalmologie des 15-20, Paris, France; and
- IHU Foresight, Paris, France
| | - Marc Labetoulle
- Service d'Ophtalmologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Université Paris-Saclay. Centre de Référence pour les maladies rares en ophtalmologie (OPHTARA), Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Department of Immunology of Viral and Autoimmune Disease (IMVA DSV/iMETI/IDMIT), UMR1184, CEA, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Service d'Ophtalmologie, Hôpital National d'Ophtalmologie des 15-20, Paris, France; and
- IHU Foresight, Paris, France
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Herpes Simplex Virus and Varicella Zoster Virus Infections in Cancer Patients. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020439. [PMID: 36851652 PMCID: PMC9961783 DOI: 10.3390/v15020439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) are alpha herpesviruses that establish life-long latent infection in neuronal ganglia after primary infection. Periodic reactivation of these viruses results in recurrent infections that can have significant impact on patients' quality of life. HSV commonly causes oral and genital mucocutaneous infections whereas VZV is responsible for varicella/chickenpox and herpes zoster/shingles, but cancer patients are at particularly higher risk of complications including disseminated and visceral infections due to impaired cell-mediated immunity. While diagnosis of more common HSV and/or VZV infections is frequently clinically based, immunocompromised hosts may have atypical skin presentation or visceral involvement. Thus, diagnostic confirmation using virus-specific tests such as polymerase chain reaction or immunohistochemical staining is crucial in some cases. Oral acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir are usually used for mild to moderate infections and intravenous acyclovir is the drug of choice for severe or disseminated infections. Foscarnet can be used when acyclovir-resistance is confirmed or suspected. Pharmaceutical prophylaxis against HSV and/or VZV should be considered in high-risk cancers patients. Currently, there is no commercially available vaccine against HSV, but VZV vaccines are available to prevent varicella and zoster.
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Shiraki K, Sato N, Sakai K, Matsumoto S, Kaszynski RH, Takemoto M. Antiviral therapy for COVID-19: Derivation of optimal strategy based on past antiviral and favipiravir experiences. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 235:108121. [PMID: 35121001 PMCID: PMC8806403 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Favipiravir, a broad-spectrum RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, inhibits the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at significantly lower concentrations than the plasma trough levels achieved by the dosage adopted for influenza treatment and exhibits efficacy against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Although high doses of favipiravir are required due to the molecule being a purine analog, its conversion into the active form in infected cells with active viral RNA synthesis enhances the antiviral specificity and selectivity as a chain terminator with lethal mutagenesis. Another characteristic feature is the lack of generation of favipiravir-resistant virus. COVID-19 pneumonia is caused by strong cell-mediated immunity against virus-infected cells, and the inflammatory response induced by adaptive immunity continues to peak for 3 to 5 days despite antiviral treatment. This has also been observed in herpes zoster (HZ) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia. Inflammation due to an immune response may mask the effectiveness of favipiravir against COVID-19 pneumonia. Favipiravir significantly shortened the recovery time in patients with mild COVID-19 pneumonia by 3 days with the start of treatment by the 5th day of symptom onset. Since both CMV and COVID-19 pneumonia are caused by adaptive immunity and prevention of cytomegalovirus pneumonia is the standard treatment due to difficulties in treating refractory CMV pneumonia, COVID-19 pneumonia should be prevented with early treatment as well. In the present study, we have comprehensively reviewed the optimal antiviral therapy for COVID-19 based on clinical trials of favipiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia and the concurrently established therapies for other viral infections, particularly HZ and CMV pneumonia. Optimally, antivirals should be administered immediately after COVID-19 diagnosis, similar to that after influenza diagnosis, to prevent COVID-19 pneumonia and complications resulting from microangiopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Noriaki Sato
- Department of Biomedical Data Intelligence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kaoru Sakai
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shirou Matsumoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan
| | - Richard H Kaszynski
- Stanford Solutions, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Masaya Takemoto
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokuriku University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Amenamevir, a Helicase-Primase Inhibitor, for the Optimal Treatment of Herpes Zoster. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081547. [PMID: 34452412 PMCID: PMC8402822 DOI: 10.3390/v13081547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir are used for the treatment of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections. Helicase-primase inhibitors (HPIs) inhibit replication fork progression that separates double DNA strands into two single strands during DNA synthesis. The HPIs amenamevir and pritelivir have novel mechanisms of anti-herpetic action, and their once-daily administration has clinical efficacy for genital herpes. Among HPIs, amenamevir has anti-VZV activity. The concentrations of HSV-1 and VZV required for the 50% plaque reduction of amenamevir were 0.036 and 0.047 μM, respectively. We characterized the features of amenamevir regarding its mechanism, resistance, and synergism with acyclovir. Its antiviral activity was not influenced by the viral replication cycle, in contrast to acyclovir. A clinical trial of amenamevir for herpes zoster demonstrated its non-inferiority to valacyclovir. To date, amenamevir has been successfully used in over 1,240,000 patients with herpes zoster in Japan. Post-marketing surveillance of amenamevir in Japan reported side effects with significant potential risk identified by the Japanese Risk Management Plan, including thrombocytopenia, gingival bleeding, and palpitations, although none of these were serious. The clinical efficacy and safety profiles of amenamevir were established in patients with herpes zoster. Therefore, amenamevir as an HPI opens a new era of anti-herpes therapy.
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