DEVASTATING IMPACT OF GENITAL HERPES

DEVASTATING IMPACT OF GENITAL HERPES

FIRST AND ONLY ONCE-DAILY SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY NOW AVAILABLE

MISSISSAUGA, ON (December 16, 1998) -- An overwhelming 77 per cent of Canadians with genital herpes say they are depressed during an outbreak, and 30 per cent say the disease hurts their job performance, according to the largest survey ever conducted with this group.

The Angus Reid Group survey of 456 patients reveals that people with genital herpes experience strong feelings of shame, disgust, anger, frustration and embarrassment. Many patients report avoiding new relationships for fear of transmitting the disease. A majority of these patients, 84 per cent, said they would benefit from having a suppressive therapy available for important times in their lives. With suppressive therapy, patients take a medication over a continuous period to prevent future outbreaks, rather than be treated when an outbreak occurs.

"Genital herpes can be a debilitating condition for sufferers," said Dr. Anne Phillips, Medical Director of the HIV Program at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and Medical Advisor to Glaxo Wellcome. "However, while there are effective antiviral medicines available, more than three-quarters of those diagnosed do not receive treatment. Now with once-a-day Valtrex to prevent outbreaks, the choices to manage the disease have never been better."

New Treatment Available for Suppression of Herpes

The Therapeutic Products Program of Health Canada recently approved Valtrex174 (valacyclovir) as the first oral, once-a-day suppressive treatment for recurrent genital herpes. The recommended dosage of Valtrex for chronic suppressive therapy is 1,000 mg daily. In patients with a history of nine or fewer recurrences per year, an alternative dose is 500 mg once daily.

In clinical trials for suppressive therapy of genital herpes, Valtrex successfully prevented 85 per cent of genital herpes recurrences after 16 weeks and prevented up to 78 per cent after one year of treatment1,2. Other Valtrex research has shown significant improvements to patients' health-related quality of life, with benefits noticed as soon as three months after starting suppressive therapy3.

"The approval of this once-daily suppressive therapy is welcome news for patients," said Dr. Barbara Romanowski, Medical Consultant of the Sexually Transmitted Disease Services at Alberta Health. "It may provide the treatment security patients are looking for while enhancing their quality of life, confidence and peace of mind. With its simple, convenient dosing and excellent safety profile, Valtrex is an excellent choice for patients who can benefit from suppressive therapy."

Most Prevalent Sexually Transmitted Disease

Genital herpes affects an estimated five million Canadians and physicians say it is reaching epidemic proportions in Canada. The condition is also the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease with more than 100 million people infected with the virus worldwide. On average, patients experience recurrent outbreaks of genital herpes four to six times per year. Outbreak symptoms may include blister-like sores, bumps and pain, itching and swelling in the genital area.

"Controlling the disease, stopping both the physical and emotional pain, is very important to the patients we surveyed," said Scott Megginson, Senior Research Manager, Angus Reid Group. "Indeed, more than 90 per cent said they wanted to learn more about treatment options to prevent recurrent episodes."

Glaxo Wellcome Inc. is committed to improving the lives of Canadians by developing products such as Valtrex for the treatment of genital herpes. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Glaxo Wellcome employs nearly 1,400 people across Canada. Glaxo Wellcome is one of the top 20 investors in Canadian research and development and one of the top 10 corporate donors in Canada. The company is part of the UK-based Glaxo Wellcome plc, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.

Valtrex is a registered trademark of The Wellcome Foundation Limited, Glaxo Wellcome Inc., licensed use.

1.Patel R. et al. Valaciclovir for the suppression of recurrent genital HSV infection: A placebo controlled study of once daily therapy. Genitourinary Medicine 1997; 73(2): 105-110.

2. Reitano M. et al. Valaciclovir for the suppression of recurrent genital herpes simplex virus infection: A large-scale dose ranging study. JID 1998: 178: 603-610.

3.Tyring S. et al. Impact of suppressive anti-viral therapy on the health-related quality of life of patients with recurrent genital herpes. Presented at the 8th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID) - 15-18 May 1998. Boston, USA.

Physicians available for interviews include:

Dr. Anne Phillips and Dr. Nancy Durand (Toronto)
Dr. Barbara Romanowski (Edmonton)
Dr. Jason Rivers (British Columbia)
Dr. Guy Boivin (Quebec City) and Dr. Clйment Olivier (Montreal)

For further information, please contact:

Janet Ko Silvie Letendre
Glaxo Wellcome Inc. Glaxo Wellcome Inc.
(905) 819-3022 (for French release only)

Trina Hendry or Robert Eakins
Edelman Public Relations
Tel: (416) 979-1120, ext. 234 and 237