Powerful Anti-Herpes Drug Moves Forward: Hope for ME/CFS/FM Patients

[Cort]

The "IT" Drug For Herpesviruses

Chimerix has been producing the "it" herpesvirus drug under production. Brincidofovir (formerly CM001) is another example of technology moving forward. Brincidofovir is Vistide - a powerful antiviral drug - encased in lipid format. Vistide has propelled some ME/CFS patients to health but is little used because of its complex infusion process, the possibility of severe kidney damage, and the frequency of blood tests needed.
[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]

[/fright]
New Package - New Results

"Chimerix has a proprietary lipid technology that can be used to enhance absorption in the gut and significantly enhance tissue penetration. This technology involves attaching lipid side-chains to antivirals, such as nucleotides, that are limited by poor gut absorption. These lipid-antiviral conjugates are thought to mimic a phospholipid in the cell membrane and thus use the natural uptake pathways in the small intestine to achieve oral bioavailability and efficient tissue penetration. From the Chimerix website."​

​

Chimerix’s propriety ‘packaging’ process has the potential to change all that. The packaging advance was innovative enough for Brincidofovir to be considered a ‘new chemical entity’ and be protected by patent laws.

Brincidofovir's only side-effects appear to involve the gastrointestinal system. Chimerix reports they are ‘easily monitored and rapidly reversible’.

Plus, Chimerix states studies have shown that Brincidofovir is not just a little bit more, or even moderately more, but ‘much more potent’ than the original drug (Vistide) against a wide variety of viruses. A 2012 review named it as one the ‘ten hot topics’ in antiviral research. This drug could initiate a new era in treating herpesvirus or other unrelated infections.

Chimerix and Brincidofovir are no flashes in the pan. The drug, with over twenty-five studies devoted to it in the past five years, has been well studied. It may be able to potentiate the effects of other antivirals such as aciclovir and be useful for patients who have not responded well to antiviral therapy. The Phase II placebo-controlled trial went remarkably well given how toxic Vistide can be. No adverse side-effects were reported and no alterations in renal function or blood chemistry were found.

This year the federal government awarded Chimerix $100 million to continue its work with smallpox and brincidofovir. The drug was given to several Ebola patients during the recent outbreak.

Fast-Tracked Drug
[fleft]

[/fleft]The drug was awarded fast track status by the FDA. Today Chimerix reported that it's 450 person Phase III trial to combat cytomegalovirus infections in transplant patients filled up faster than expected. The company anticipates they'll be able to begin reporting on the clinical trial results in early 2016. It appears that one Phase III trial will be enough for the FDA. One source reported the drug could be FDA approved and available in 2016.

Chimerix noted that a antiviral has not been approved for transplant patients - who are highly susceptible to viral infections - in over ten years.

Hope for ME/CFS and FM Patients

Dr. Peterson’s April 2013 report that 70% of severely ill ME/CFS patients with herpesvirus infections (HHV6, HCMV) improved significantly on Vistide, with many returning to work, suggests Brincidofovir could be a boon to a subset of ME/CFS patients.[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]

[/fright]ME/CFS patients who couldn't tolerate the large doses of antivirals taken sometimes for years or those who didn't benefit from their first try with antivirals could be helped. People who were helped by antiviral drugs but have not recovered could be helped more. Dr. Peterson has been holding this drug out as hope for his more severely ill patients for some time now.

There's no telling the cost of the drug should it be approved, but new drugs typically come at a high cost. A more powerful drug that can be given in smaller doses (no infusions required!) might end being less expensive in the long run than the less powerful antivirals that are often taken in large amounts for years.

Brincidofovir is more than just a herpesvirus drug; it's also being marketed as a broad spectrum antiviral and is currently against two very unherpes-like viruses, adenovirus and smallpox. It's been granted fast-track status for all three viruses.

(Thanks to Anita (once again) for the tip!)

• http://www.chimerix.com/discovery-clinical-trials/brincidofovir/brincidofovir-suppress-trial/

HAM, N.C., June 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chimerix, Inc. (Nasdaq:CMRX), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, oral antivirals in areas of high unmet medical need, announced today the successful enrollment of the targeted 450 patients in SUPPRESS, the Phase 3 trial evaluating brincidofovir for the prevention of clinically significant cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT), also known as bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients. The company anticipates reporting topline data from SUPPRESS in early 2016.

"We have reached our targeted 450 enrolled patients in SUPPRESS, a major milestone for Chimerix that brings us closer to providing potential evidence of brincidofovir's activity against viruses that have such a negative impact on these vulnerable patients," said W. Garrett Nichols, MD, MS, Chief Medical Officer of Chimerix. "The enrollment of this large trial in less than two years speaks to the need for a new antiviral that is active against CMV and other DNA viruses. There has not been a new antiviral approved in this therapeutic area in over a decade."

The lead physician investigator for SUPPRESS, Francisco Marty, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said, "If approved, brincidofovir will be the first antiviral indicated for the prevention of clinically significant CMV infections in allogeneic bone marrow transplant patients at increased risk of CMV. Although prevention of CMV infections has long been the objective in transplant medicine, available antivirals have not had the safety profile to allow their use in the broader patient population who remain at risk of CMV in the months following a stem cell transplant. We are extremely grateful to all the patients who have taken part in this landmark study."

The primary endpoint of SUPPRESS is prevention of clinically significant CMV infection through the first 24 weeks post-transplant. Important secondary endpoints in the trial include the prevention of clinically relevant infections with other DNA viruses that often coexist in immunocompromised patients, such as adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and BK virus; the prevention of bacterial and fungal infections that can be associated with CMV reactivation; the potential associated benefits of preventing CMV such as decreased rates of re-hospitalizations and other measures of healthcare utilization; and the potential to decrease overall mortality in the critical first months following the transplant.

The SUPPRESS trial has enrolled 450 adult HCT recipients who are at increased risk for CMV infection from over 40 of the key transplant centers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Subjects receive twice-weekly brincidofovir or placebo (2:1 ratio) from the early post-transplant period through week 14 post-transplant, the period of highest risk for viral infections.

The company plans to formally review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a strategy of submitting a new drug application (NDA) for brincidofovir with efficacy and safety data from both the pivotal SUPPRESS and AdVise trials. The Phase 3 AdVise trial for the treatment of life-threatening adenovirus infection began in March 2014 and has enrolled over 150 patients to date. In an analysis presented earlier this year, more than half of the patients enrolled in AdVise had two or more active viral infections, underscoring the significant risks that transplant recipients currently face. If approved, brincidofovir could be the first antiviral with the safety profile to allow use as a prevention of clinically significant CMV infection and potentially other viral infections in these high-risk patients.

About Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT)

More than 70,000 hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) are performed each year worldwide, most frequently to treat patients with certain cancers of the blood and bone marrow, or to address genetic diseases. Due to chemotherapy and the immune suppression associated with HCT, patients are highly susceptible to viral, bacterial and fungal infections. These complications are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the months following the transplant, and too often the high risk of infection in the first year after transplant results in patients and their families deciding to not undergo a potentially curative transplant.

About Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family and remains a significant cause of viral infections in transplant recipients. A majority of adults in the U.S. have evidence of a prior infection with CMV which establishes a dormant or latent infection that cannot be cleared; most individuals have an immune system that is able to prevent CMV from reactivating and causing disease.

In individuals with weakened immune systems – such as transplant recipients – CMV commonly reactivates during the first weeks following the transplant, leading to infection of the lungs or other organ system and increasing the risk of other viral, bacterial and fungal infections. No therapies are approved for the prevention of CMV in HCT recipients because of known toxicities associated with available CMV antivirals, including bone marrow suppression and renal impairment.

About Brincidofovir (CMX001)

Chimerix's lead product candidate, brincidofovir, is an oral nucleotide analog that has shown in vitro antiviral activity against all five families of DNA viruses that affect humans, including the herpesvirus family and adenovirus. Brincidofovir has not been associated with kidney or bone marrow toxicity in over 1,000 patients treated to date.

Based on the clinically and statistically significant Phase 2 results in cytomegalovirus (CMV) prevention, Chimerix initiated the Phase 3 SUPPRESS trial in 2013. If positive, data from SUPPRESS will support Chimerix's initial regulatory submission for brincidofovir for the prevention of CMV infection in adult hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients.

Chimerix is also conducting AdVise, a Phase 3 trial in patients with adenovirus infection, which is an often-fatal viral infection with no approved treatment. Chimerix is working with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop brincidofovir as a medical countermeasure against smallpox. Brincidofovir has received Fast Track designation from the FDA for CMV, adenovirus, and smallpox.

 

[justME]

I still would've needed something to take care of the rest of these...

...but this would certainly be a good start! (if it wasn't for the alternative meds that work fine, for me/ME)

and who needs a liver anyway ;D

 

[Cort]

Do you have all those? Actually one of the REALLY interesting thing about this drug is its ability to tackle more than herpesvirus infections. Chimerix is also testing it against adenoviruses and smallpox...

 

[justME]

instead of parvo and borna I had a mycoplasma and one other I forgot, do have to add that only 2 were officially found and the rest of them alternatively and also treated that way, and nothing changed until every single one left my body (of which EBV was the hardest to get rid of, it kept coming back like an annoying fly)

 

[PamJ]

instead of parvo and borna I had a mycoplasma and one other I forgot, do have to add that only 2 were officially found and the rest of them alternatively and also treated that way, and nothing changed until every single one left my body (of which EBV was the hardest to get rid of, it kept coming back like an annoying fly)

Interesting. How are you doing now? Do you consider yourself "cured"?

 

[ladybug64]

Valcyte is now generic--insurance made me switch to generic in 2015. I'd had a little improvement on the original but went down again on generic. Anyone else experience that?

Is Dr Peterson the only doc who is currently prescribing Brincidifovir since it's not yet approved?

Thank you so much for keeping us all informed, Cort

 

[Cort]

Valcyte is now generic--insurance made me switch to generic in 2015. I'd had a little improvement on the original but went down again on generic. Anyone else experience that?

Is Dr Peterson the only doc who is currently prescribing Brincidifovir since it's not yet approved?

Thank you so much for keeping us all informed, Cort

He's the only one I'm aware of (there could be others) who's prescribing Vistide. He doesn't have his hands on Brincidofovir yet. I know he would love to use it but I think its off-limits until it's approved. So he's using the original, sometimes nasty original version - which works very well in some people.

 

[justME]

Interesting. How are you doing now? Do you consider yourself "cured"?

far from it, that's when the "fun" seriously started, it just seemed to trigger some sort of damaged-nerves-rebooting-system (read the link in my bio for the rest of the incomplete story)

 

[Cort]

I think visitide is used sometimes by dr lerner . Guess that he will have his eye on brincidovir?

I imagine he will be watching it like a hawk.

 

[KweenPita]

Cort,
Before my Fibromyalgia symptoms became uber apparently Fibromyalgia in 9/1991... First I had a case of Parvovirus B19 10/89, then abnormal pap turned into aggressive HPV Cervical Cancer 1/91. No one at the time understood it, because was monogamous for 12 years. Anyways was doing the Antiviral Cox 2 inhibitors protocol per Dr Pritchens in Alabama and seeing real progress last fall for 3 months. I have the Everything but kitchen sink Fibromyalgia Alodyne(sp) princess and the pea sensitivities my Internal Medicine Dr says, and had to stop the Anti Virals because a new study came out and said that Anti Virals could stimulate HPV to reactivate and since we are talking cancer, not once but twice, it was considered too risky. Now my symptoms are worse than ever. Have you heard any of this?

 

[Cort]

Cort,
Before my Fibromyalgia symptoms became uber apparently Fibromyalgia in 9/1991... First I had a case of Parvovirus B19 10/89, then abnormal pap turned into aggressive HPV Cervical Cancer 1/91. No one at the time understood it, because was monogamous for 12 years. Anyways was doing the Antiviral Cox 2 inhibitors protocol per Dr Pritchens in Alabama and seeing real progress last fall for 3 months. I have the Everything but kitchen sink Fibromyalgia Alodyne(sp) princess and the pea sensitivities my Internal Medicine Dr says, and had to stop the Anti Virals because a new study came out and said that Anti Virals could stimulate HPV to reactivate and since we are talking cancer, not once but twice, it was considered too risky. Now my symptoms are worse than ever. Have you heard any of this?

Darn. No I didn't know that. What a shame...I guess there's no way around that?

 

[justME]

a new study came out and said that Anti Virals could stimulate HPV to reactivate and since we are talking cancer

link?

 

[Recliner]

link?

Sorry, I was trying to ask a question of KweenPita .... I didn't do it right!
I was referring to what she said above.

 

[justME]

wasn't paying attention much either bit still would like a link (from kween)

 

[Recliner]

I just started using Valtrex 500mg.
It is the first time I've tried using any antivirals!
I asked my doctor to try me on the Valtrex / celebrex combo but the celebrex is not covered by my insurance so I was not able to get that.
I went ahead and started with the Valtrex 500mg x one per day.
now, I'm a bit worried about what Kween said above about the human papillomavirus and antivirals possibly causing cancer..... according to her doctor.
I'm having trouble with the search engine trying to find valtrex, am I doing something wrong? Or should i search someplace else?
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give me, greenhorn on the site!
Meg/ Recliner

 

[FightOn!]

The "IT" Drug For Herpesviruses

Chimerix has been producing the "it" herpesvirus drug under production. Brincidofovir (formerly CM001) is another example of technology moving forward. Brincidofovir is Vistide - a powerful antiviral drug - encased in lipid format. Vistide has propelled some ME/CFS patients to health but is little used because of its complex infusion process, the possibility of severe kidney damage, and the frequency of blood tests needed.
[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]View attachment 434
[/fright]
New Package - New Results

"Chimerix has a proprietary lipid technology that can be used to enhance absorption in the gut and significantly enhance tissue penetration. This technology involves attaching lipid side-chains to antivirals, such as nucleotides, that are limited by poor gut absorption. These lipid-antiviral conjugates are thought to mimic a phospholipid in the cell membrane and thus use the natural uptake pathways in the small intestine to achieve oral bioavailability and efficient tissue penetration. From the Chimerix website."​

​

Chimerix’s propriety ‘packaging’ process has the potential to change all that. The packaging advance was innovative enough for Brincidofovir to be considered a ‘new chemical entity’ and be protected by patent laws.

Brincidofovir's only side-effects appear to involve the gastrointestinal system. Chimerix reports they are ‘easily monitored and rapidly reversible’.

Plus, Chimerix states studies have shown that Brincidofovir is not just a little bit more, or even moderately more, but ‘much more potent’ than the original drug (Vistide) against a wide variety of viruses. A 2012 review named it as one the ‘ten hot topics’ in antiviral research. This drug could initiate a new era in treating herpesvirus or other unrelated infections.

Chimerix and Brincidofovir are no flashes in the pan. The drug, with over twenty-five studies devoted to it in the past five years, has been well studied. It may be able to potentiate the effects of other antivirals such as aciclovir and be useful for patients who have not responded well to antiviral therapy. The Phase II placebo-controlled trial went remarkably well given how toxic Vistide can be. No adverse side-effects were reported and no alterations in renal function or blood chemistry were found.

This year the federal government awarded Chimerix $100 million to continue its work with smallpox and brincidofovir. The drug was given to several Ebola patients during the recent outbreak.

Fast-Tracked Drug
[fleft]
View attachment 437 [/fleft]The drug was awarded fast track status by the FDA. Today Chimerix reported that it's 450 person Phase III trial to combat cytomegalovirus infections in transplant patients filled up faster than expected. The company anticipates they'll be able to begin reporting on the clinical trial results in early 2016. It appears that one Phase III trial will be enough for the FDA. One source reported the drug could be FDA approved and available in 2016.

Chimerix noted that a antiviral has not been approved for transplant patients - who are highly susceptible to viral infections - in over ten years.

Hope for ME/CFS and FM Patients

Dr. Peterson’s April 2013 report that 70% of severely ill ME/CFS patients with herpesvirus infections (HHV6, HCMV) improved significantly on Vistide, with many returning to work, suggests Brincidofovir could be a boon to a subset of ME/CFS patients.[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]

View attachment 438 [/fright]ME/CFS patients who couldn't tolerate the large doses of antivirals taken sometimes for years or those who didn't benefit from their first try with antivirals could be helped. People who were helped by antiviral drugs but have not recovered could be helped more. Dr. Peterson has been holding this drug out as hope for his more severely ill patients for some time now.

There's no telling the cost of the drug should it be approved, but new drugs typically come at a high cost. A more powerful drug that can be given in smaller doses (no infusions required!) might end being less expensive in the long run than the less powerful antivirals that are often taken in large amounts for years.

Brincidofovir is more than just a herpesvirus drug; it's also being marketed as a broad spectrum antiviral and is currently against two very unherpes-like viruses, adenovirus and smallpox. It's been granted fast-track status for all three viruses.

(Thanks to Anita (once again) for the tip!)

• http://www.chimerix.com/discovery-clinical-trials/brincidofovir/brincidofovir-suppress-trial/

The "IT" Drug For Herpesviruses

Chimerix has been producing the "it" herpesvirus drug under production. Brincidofovir (formerly CM001) is another example of technology moving forward. Brincidofovir is Vistide - a powerful antiviral drug - encased in lipid format. Vistide has propelled some ME/CFS patients to health but is little used because of its complex infusion process, the possibility of severe kidney damage, and the frequency of blood tests needed.
[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]View attachment 434
[/fright]
New Package - New Results

"Chimerix has a proprietary lipid technology that can be used to enhance absorption in the gut and significantly enhance tissue penetration. This technology involves attaching lipid side-chains to antivirals, such as nucleotides, that are limited by poor gut absorption. These lipid-antiviral conjugates are thought to mimic a phospholipid in the cell membrane and thus use the natural uptake pathways in the small intestine to achieve oral bioavailability and efficient tissue penetration. From the Chimerix website."​

​

Chimerix’s propriety ‘packaging’ process has the potential to change all that. The packaging advance was innovative enough for Brincidofovir to be considered a ‘new chemical entity’ and be protected by patent laws.

Brincidofovir's only side-effects appear to involve the gastrointestinal system. Chimerix reports they are ‘easily monitored and rapidly reversible’.

Plus, Chimerix states studies have shown that Brincidofovir is not just a little bit more, or even moderately more, but ‘much more potent’ than the original drug (Vistide) against a wide variety of viruses. A 2012 review named it as one the ‘ten hot topics’ in antiviral research. This drug could initiate a new era in treating herpesvirus or other unrelated infections.

Chimerix and Brincidofovir are no flashes in the pan. The drug, with over twenty-five studies devoted to it in the past five years, has been well studied. It may be able to potentiate the effects of other antivirals such as aciclovir and be useful for patients who have not responded well to antiviral therapy. The Phase II placebo-controlled trial went remarkably well given how toxic Vistide can be. No adverse side-effects were reported and no alterations in renal function or blood chemistry were found.

This year the federal government awarded Chimerix $100 million to continue its work with smallpox and brincidofovir. The drug was given to several Ebola patients during the recent outbreak.

Fast-Tracked Drug
[fleft]
View attachment 437 [/fleft]The drug was awarded fast track status by the FDA. Today Chimerix reported that it's 450 person Phase III trial to combat cytomegalovirus infections in transplant patients filled up faster than expected. The company anticipates they'll be able to begin reporting on the clinical trial results in early 2016. It appears that one Phase III trial will be enough for the FDA. One source reported the drug could be FDA approved and available in 2016.

Chimerix noted that a antiviral has not been approved for transplant patients - who are highly susceptible to viral infections - in over ten years.

Hope for ME/CFS and FM Patients

Dr. Peterson’s April 2013 report that 70% of severely ill ME/CFS patients with herpesvirus infections (HHV6, HCMV) improved significantly on Vistide, with many returning to work, suggests Brincidofovir could be a boon to a subset of ME/CFS patients.[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]

View attachment 438 [/fright]ME/CFS patients who couldn't tolerate the large doses of antivirals taken sometimes for years or those who didn't benefit from their first try with antivirals could be helped. People who were helped by antiviral drugs but have not recovered could be helped more. Dr. Peterson has been holding this drug out as hope for his more severely ill patients for some time now.

There's no telling the cost of the drug should it be approved, but new drugs typically come at a high cost. A more powerful drug that can be given in smaller doses (no infusions required!) might end being less expensive in the long run than the less powerful antivirals that are often taken in large amounts for years.

Brincidofovir is more than just a herpesvirus drug; it's also being marketed as a broad spectrum antiviral and is currently against two very unherpes-like viruses, adenovirus and smallpox. It's been granted fast-track status for all three viruses.

(Thanks to Anita (once again) for the tip!)

• http://www.chimerix.com/discovery-clinical-trials/brincidofovir/brincidofovir-suppress-trial/

The "IT" Drug For Herpesviruses

Chimerix has been producing the "it" herpesvirus drug under production. Brincidofovir (formerly CM001) is another example of technology moving forward. Brincidofovir is Vistide - a powerful antiviral drug - encased in lipid format. Vistide has propelled some ME/CFS patients to health but is little used because of its complex infusion process, the possibility of severe kidney damage, and the frequency of blood tests needed.
[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]View attachment 434
[/fright]
New Package - New Results

"Chimerix has a proprietary lipid technology that can be used to enhance absorption in the gut and significantly enhance tissue penetration. This technology involves attaching lipid side-chains to antivirals, such as nucleotides, that are limited by poor gut absorption. These lipid-antiviral conjugates are thought to mimic a phospholipid in the cell membrane and thus use the natural uptake pathways in the small intestine to achieve oral bioavailability and efficient tissue penetration. From the Chimerix website."​

​

Chimerix’s propriety ‘packaging’ process has the potential to change all that. The packaging advance was innovative enough for Brincidofovir to be considered a ‘new chemical entity’ and be protected by patent laws.

Brincidofovir's only side-effects appear to involve the gastrointestinal system. Chimerix reports they are ‘easily monitored and rapidly reversible’.

Plus, Chimerix states studies have shown that Brincidofovir is not just a little bit more, or even moderately more, but ‘much more potent’ than the original drug (Vistide) against a wide variety of viruses. A 2012 review named it as one the ‘ten hot topics’ in antiviral research. This drug could initiate a new era in treating herpesvirus or other unrelated infections.

Chimerix and Brincidofovir are no flashes in the pan. The drug, with over twenty-five studies devoted to it in the past five years, has been well studied. It may be able to potentiate the effects of other antivirals such as aciclovir and be useful for patients who have not responded well to antiviral therapy. The Phase II placebo-controlled trial went remarkably well given how toxic Vistide can be. No adverse side-effects were reported and no alterations in renal function or blood chemistry were found.

This year the federal government awarded Chimerix $100 million to continue its work with smallpox and brincidofovir. The drug was given to several Ebola patients during the recent outbreak.

Fast-Tracked Drug
[fleft]
View attachment 437 [/fleft]The drug was awarded fast track status by the FDA. Today Chimerix reported that it's 450 person Phase III trial to combat cytomegalovirus infections in transplant patients filled up faster than expected. The company anticipates they'll be able to begin reporting on the clinical trial results in early 2016. It appears that one Phase III trial will be enough for the FDA. One source reported the drug could be FDA approved and available in 2016.

Chimerix noted that a antiviral has not been approved for transplant patients - who are highly susceptible to viral infections - in over ten years.

Hope for ME/CFS and FM Patients

Dr. Peterson’s April 2013 report that 70% of severely ill ME/CFS patients with herpesvirus infections (HHV6, HCMV) improved significantly on Vistide, with many returning to work, suggests Brincidofovir could be a boon to a subset of ME/CFS patients.[fright][/fright][fright][/fright][fright]

View attachment 438 [/fright]ME/CFS patients who couldn't tolerate the large doses of antivirals taken sometimes for years or those who didn't benefit from their first try with antivirals could be helped. People who were helped by antiviral drugs but have not recovered could be helped more. Dr. Peterson has been holding this drug out as hope for his more severely ill patients for some time now.

There's no telling the cost of the drug should it be approved, but new drugs typically come at a high cost. A more powerful drug that can be given in smaller doses (no infusions required!) might end being less expensive in the long run than the less powerful antivirals that are often taken in large amounts for years.

Brincidofovir is more than just a herpesvirus drug; it's also being marketed as a broad spectrum antiviral and is currently against two very unherpes-like viruses, adenovirus and smallpox. It's been granted fast-track status for all three viruses.

(Thanks to Anita (once again) for the tip!)

• http://www.chimerix.com/discovery-clinical-trials/brincidofovir/brincidofovir-suppress-trial/

They have also tested this against Ebola virus. I really like the sound of this drug over everything else out there and am watching it carefully. I hope it really is available 1Q'17 as they project. This could be a really great treatment for many of us with CFS having herpes viral implications - HHV-6, EBV.