Docosanol is a drug used for topical treatment for recurrent herpes simplex labialis episodes (episodes of cold sores or fever blisters). A saturated 22-carbon aliphatic alcohol, docosanol exhibits antiviral activity against many lipid enveloped viruses including herpes simplex virus (HSV). Docosanol inhibits fusion between the plasma membrane and the herpes simplex virus (HSV) envelope, thereby preventing viral entry into cells and subsequent viral replication.
Indication
For the topical treatment of recurrent oral-facial herpes simplex episodes (cold sores or fever blisters).
Pharmacology
Docosanol is a saturated 22-carbon aliphatic alcohol which exhibits antiviral activity against many lipid enveloped viruses including herpes simplex virus (HSV). Docosanol speeds the healing of cold sores and fever blisters on the face or lips. It also relieves the accompanying symptoms, including tingling, pain, burning, and itching. Docosanol cannot, however, prevent cold sores or fever blisters from appearing.
Toxicity
Symptoms of overdose include headache, abdominal pain, increased serum lipase, nausea, dyspepsia, dizziness, and hyperbilirubinemia.
Affected Organisms
Herpes simplex virus
Absorption
Topical absorption has been shown to be minimal under conditions reflecting normal clinical use.
Research Area: Infection Biological Activity: Docosanol is a saturated fatty alcoholused traditionally as an emollient, emulsifier, and thickener in cosmetics, nutritional supplement (as an individual entity and also as a constituent of polyicosanol). [1] It works by inhibiting fusion between the human cell plasma membrane and the herpes simplex virus (HSV) envelope, thereby preventing viral entry into cells and subsequent viral replication. Unlike other cold-sore antivirals, docosanol does not act directly on the virus, and as such it is unlikely it will produce drug resistant mutants of HSV. The ED50 of 1-docosanol is around 2.5 mg/ml for plaque inhibition and 1.7 mg/ml for inhibition of virus production for wild-type and Acv-resistant HSV-2. [2]
