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Prevention of Recurrence of Herpes Simplex in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

NCT07341386 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 62

Last updated 2026-03-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral suppressive therapy with acyclovir in preventing herpes simplex virus (HSV) reactivation in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) who have a history of recurrent HS episodes.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Does continuous oral acyclovir reduce the frequency of HSV reactivation in ARD patients compared to placebo? What is the safety profile of prolonged acyclovir use in this population? What are the main risk factors (clinical and treatment-related) associated with HSV reactivation in immunosuppressed patients.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned (1:1) to receive oral acyclovir (400 mg BID) or placebo for 12 months; Be followed for a total of 24 months, with regular clinical evaluations (every 3 months) and laboratory monitoring (every 3 months); Be assessed for HSV recurrence based on clinical symptoms, detection of HSV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in mucocutaneous swabs in doubtful cases, and standardized reporting forms; Undergo disease activity assessments and adverse event monitoring at regular intervals.

The study includes adult and pediatric patients with confirmed diagnoses of one of the following ARDs: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM), systemic sclerosis (SSc), systemic vasculitis, primary Sjögren's syndrome, Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO), Sarcoidosis and Behçet's Syndrome. All participants must have a documented history of recurrent HSV (oral and/or genital) before inclusion.

Conditions

  • Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases
  • Recurrent Herpes Simplex
  • Prevention

Interventions

DRUG

Acyclovir (ACV)

Oral acyclovir 400 mg twice a day for 12 months. Acyclovir is a synthetic nucleoside analog with in vitro activity against HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, and other herpesviruses.

OTHER

Placebo

Matching oral placebo, administered twice a day for 12 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

    collaborator OTHER_GOV

  • University of Sao Paulo General Hospital

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
12 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-04-01
Primary Completion
2027-04-01
Completion
2028-04-01

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07341386 on ClinicalTrials.gov