Famvir (famciclovir) tablets are used to treat herpes zoster, commonly referred to as "shingles," in adults. Shingles is a painful rash with raised, red pimples on the trunk of the body, usually the back. Because it is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, only people who have had chickenpox can get shingles. When prescribed for shingles, Famvir works best in people age 50 or over.

Famvir is also prescribed to treat attacks of genital herpes and to prevent future flare-ups. For people with HIV infections, it is used as a treatment for both genital and oral herpes.

Results from a new study demonstrated that a single day of treatment with the antiviral Famvir (famciclovir) stopped the progression to a full outbreak or shortened the duration of an outbreak in patients with recurrent genital herpes (RGH). With the completion of this study, Famvir is the only antiviral treatment that has demonstrated that a single day of therapy is effective in the treatment of RGH.

Current standard of care for recurrent genital herpes is three or five days of oral antiviral therapy. In this study, it is thought that Famvir was effective in a single-day dose because it provided a full course of therapy upfront when the virus is most active.

The research also showed that Famvir significantly reduced the duration of RGH symptoms including the itching, pain, burning, tingling and tenderness in patients with lesions versus placebo.