TREATMENT OF ACYCLOVIR-UNRESPONSIVE CUTANEOUS HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS-INFECTION WITH TOPICALLY APPLIED SP-303

The naturally occurring polyphenolic biopolymer SP-303 has in vitro ac tivity against both HSV-1 and HSV-2, including strains that are resist ant to acyclovir. Nine AIDS patients with acyclovir-unresponsive mucoc utaneous herpes simplex virus infection were treated with thrice daily topical SP-303T ointment in an open-label pilot study. Although a tra nsient decrease in lesion size was observed in 4 patients during study drug therapy, and 3 patients sustained a quantitative decrease in vir us burden, neither complete healing nor cessation of virus shedding oc curred in any patient. Seven patients complained of pain or burning up on application of the study ointment, causing 1 patient to terminate t he study. In summary, application of SP-303T ointment effected no sign ificant improvement in the clinical course of 9 AIDS patients with acy clovir-unresponsive HSV infection.