Meeting report: 30th International Conference on Antiviral Research, in Atlanta, GA, USA

Vere Hodge, R Anthony

In collaboration with Jennifer Moffat, who was also attending this ICAR, L-BHDU (b-L-1-(E-2-bromovinyl)-2-1,3-(dioxolan-4-yl)uracil) was discovered to be active against varicella zoster virus (VZV, chickenpox/shingles) both in vitro and in vivo. Although with slightly less activity, L-BHDU inhibited two other herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV, glandular fever/ infectious mononucleosis) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (cold sores). Against these herpesviruses, L-BHDU was more active than the positive control, ACV. In contrast to the known anti-VZV compound, bromovinyl-deoxyuridine (BVdU), L-BHDU does not interfere with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) metabolism. This became an important toxicity issue when BVdU and 5-FU were co-administered to cancer patients. In a VZV animal model, L-BHDU (150 mg/kg) was markedly more effective than valacyclovir (200 mg/kg).