Arabinosyladenine monophosphate in genital herpes: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed in 55 male patients with recurrent herpes simplex genitalis. The 29 patients who received topical arabinosyladenine monophosphate (ara-AMP) showed no significant difference in viral shedding, duration of pain, healing time or development of new lesions as compared to 26 placebo-treated patients. Ara-AMP was well-tolerated when topically applied. Serum neutralizing antibody titers did not change significantly during the acute and convalescent periods of the patient's recurrent HSG attacks. We conclude that ara-AMP, when applied topically as a 10% gel five times a day within 24 h of onset of recurrent HSG, does not influence the virologic and clinical evolution of the recurrent episode.