Evaluation of efficacy and tolerance of neuramide in the treatment of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuritis

Abstract

Ninety-two patients suffering from herpes zoster were enrolled in a double-blind controlled study aimed at evaluating the efficacy and tolerance of the drug neuramide. Neuramide (N) and placebo (P) were administered to patients intramuscularly twice daily for 28 days as follows: group N + N (patients always treated with neuramide); group N + P (patients treated with neuramide for 1 week, then with placebo); group P + N (patients treated with placebo for 1 week, then with neuramide); group P + P (patients always treated with placebo). During the first week, all patients were also treated with standardized doses of acyclovir. The presence and extent of clinical symptoms were evaluated during the first 4 weeks, while the appearance, degree and duration of postherpetic neuralgia were evaluated both during treatment and over a 6-month follow-up period. There were no significant differences between the four groups of patients when subjective parameters (such as pain and paresis at the lesion site) were examined. However, clinical examination at the end of treatment showed that treatment with neuramide was therapeutic. Indeed, the times for recovery and for regeneration of epithelium were significantly shorter when neuramide was administered for 3 weeks of the treatment period. Furthermore, the change from vesicles to crusts was significantly faster in the neuramide group than in the placebo group. Postherpetic neuritis occurred in the first months of follow-up. However, in groups N + P and P + P, the symptoms lasted throughout the 6-month observation period, while in the other groups this period was shorter. Indeed, there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in terms of the above complications between the following groups: N + N and N + P; N + N and P + P; N + P and P + N; P + N and P + P. No significant differences were observed between the N + N and P + N, or N + P and P + P groups. Taken together, these data demonstrate that neuramide treatment for at least 3 weeks significantly reduces the risk of postherpetic neuritis development.