Ruvidar®—An Effective Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus Agent

Infectious agents account for millions of deaths every year. The Herpes Simplex Viruses (HSVs) are large double-stranded DNA viruses that infect more than 90% of the human population and can establish life-long latency in human hosts. Currently, effective FDA approved anti-herpetic drugs include acyclovir and later-generation derivatives (valacyclovir and famciclovir), which inhibit viral DNA synthesis. In previous work, we demonstrated that the small molecule Ruvidar® could inhibit numerous pathogenic human viruses when added to solutions of viruses both with and without light activation. In these experiments, we evaluated the ability of Ruvidar® to restrict HSV-1 replication in Vero cells, both by itself and in combination with acyclovir and metformin in the absence of light activation to mimic deep tissue. Ruvidar® successfully inhibited HSV-1 replication at significantly lower concentrations and more effectively than either acyclovir or metformin alone. We also discovered additive and synergistic anti-HSV-1 effects when combinational therapy was tested. Ruvidar® also restricted HSV-1 replication in human U251 glioblastoma astrocytoma cells, remained highly effective against acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 mutants, and protected infected cells from virus-induced cytopathology.