Amenalief (amenamevir) / Maruho - LARVOL DELTA

Managing refractory herpes simplex keratitis. (PubMed, Br J Ophthalmol) - "The emergence of acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 strains, particularly in immunocompromised or long-term treated patients, represents an increasing concern. In these situations, alternative agents such as trifluridine, foscarnet or more recently, helicase-primase inhibitors, including amenamevir, have demonstrated clinical efficacy. The new strategies outlined here will all provide benefit in treating the drivers of refractory HSK, to quickly resolve and reduce risk of recurrence, providing new opportunities to prevent vision loss in refractory and antiviral-resistant cases."

Journal • Review • Dry Eye Disease • Herpes Simplex • Infectious Disease • Inflammation • Keratitis • Ocular Infections • Ocular Inflammation • Ophthalmology

Varicella zoster virus infection. (PubMed, Nat Rev Dis Primers) - "VZV infection is treated with antiviral drugs including oral valacyclovir (drug of choice), famciclovir, acyclovir or amenamevir; for severe or disseminated disease, intravenous acyclovir or foscarnet (when other drugs fail) are used. Critical challenges remain in recognizing and diagnosing atypical presentations, developing novel therapeutics, establishing the causal role of VZV in vascular and neurodegenerative disease, and achieving broader vaccine implementation worldwide."

Journal • Review • Cardiovascular • CNS Disorders • Herpes Zoster • Infectious Disease • Neuralgia • Pain • Varicella Zoster

Amenamevir Transfer into Breast Milk in Patients with Herpes Simplex Virus Infection: A Brief Report of a Prospective Multicenter Study. (PubMed, J Dermatol) - "However, because breastfeeding was interrupted and infant exposure was not evaluated, clinical safety in breastfed infants remains undetermined. Trial Registration: Japan Registry of Clinical Trials identifier: jRCTs031230591."

Clinical • Journal • Herpes Simplex • Infectious Disease

Varicella-zoster virus meningitis during amenamevir therapy with measured cerebrospinal fluid drug concentration: A case report. (PubMed, J Family Med Prim Care) - "The patient's condition improved rapidly after initiation of acyclovir therapy. This case provides the first direct evidence that AMNV reaches the CSF. However, whether CSF exposure is sufficient to prevent CNS complications or attenuate disease severity remains unclear."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Herpes Zoster • Infectious Disease • Varicella Zoster

Treatment of acyclovir-resistant varicella-zoster virus keratitis with amenamevir in an immunocompromised patient. (PubMed, J Antimicrob Chemother) - No abstract available

Journal • Herpes Zoster • Keratitis • Ocular Inflammation • Ophthalmology • Varicella Zoster

Helicase-primase inhibitors as next-generation anti-HSV agents: from current clinical status to structure-activity relationships and patent coverage. (PubMed, Expert Opin Ther Pat) - "With amenamevir already approved for the treatment of VZV and HSV in Japan and with pritelivir's granted breakthrough therapy designation and priority review for the treatment of acyclovir-resistant HSV infections in immunocompromised patients, other companies have also expressed interest in small-molecule helicase-primase inhibitors (HPIs)...In parallel, the availability of several cryo-electron microscopy structures of the helicase-primase complex has enabled structure-based and computer-aided drug design, facilitating the exploration of alternative scaffolds beyond the established chemotypes. The potential opportunities and limitations of the current HPIs, as well as the different dosage forms, are discussed."

Journal • Review • Herpes Simplex • Herpes Zoster • Infectious Disease • Varicella Zoster

Response to "Interpreting Herpes Zoster-Related Hospitalization in a Claims-Based Comparison of Amenamevir and Valacyclovir". (PubMed, J Dermatol) - No abstract available

Journal • Herpes Zoster • Varicella Zoster

Interpreting Herpes Zoster-Related Hospitalization in a Claims-Based Comparison of Amenamevir and Valacyclovir. (PubMed, J Dermatol) - No abstract available

Journal • Herpes Zoster • Varicella Zoster

Disseminated Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection Following a Live Attenuated Varicella Vaccine (Oka Strain) in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report. (PubMed, Intern Med) - "A 77-year-old woman was being treated for rheumatoid arthritis with prednisolone, methotrexate, and iguratimod...The patient was treated with amenamevir, and the rash improved. Based on the pathological findings and viral genotyping, she was diagnosed with a vaccine-induced disseminated varicella-zoster virus infection. For herpes zoster vaccination, caution is warranted as some medical questionnaires for vaccination do not include glucocorticoid use or immunosuppressive therapy, and some primary care physicians administer live vaccines only."

Journal • Herpes Zoster • Immunology • Infectious Disease • Inflammatory Arthritis • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Rheumatology • Varicella Zoster

Effectiveness of Amenamevir Vs. Valacyclovir in Preventing Herpes Zoster-Related Hospitalization and Complications: A Target Trial Emulation Using a Large Japanese Claims Database. (PubMed, J Dermatol) - "Based on our findings, amenamevir may be a useful option for herpes zoster, particularly in clinical settings where timely assessment of renal function is not available. However, caution is warranted regarding possible increases in ocular complications."

Journal • Acute Kidney Injury • CNS Disorders • Herpes Zoster • Infectious Disease • Nephrology • Ophthalmology • Renal Disease • Varicella Zoster

VZV meningitis/meningoencephalitis before and after amenamevir: a retrospective observational study (JSNE 2026) - No abstract available

Observational data • Retrospective data • CNS Disorders • Infectious Disease

Structural insights into inhibition mechanism of the helicase-primase complex from human herpesvirus 1. (PubMed, Cell Chem Biol) - "Here, cryo-EM structures of the HHV1 (α-subfamily) HPC bound to single-stranded DNA and two clinical inhibitors, amenamevir and pritelivir, are reported. Combined molecular dynamics and fragment molecular orbital analyses explain the α-subfamily selectivity and distinct antiviral spectra of these drugs. These findings provide a structural framework to guide the development of novel inhibitors targeting β- and γ-subfamily herpesviruses."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections • Immunology

A CASE OF LIVER INJURY IN AN ELDERLY PATIENT WITH DIABETES AND ANCA-ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS DURING AVACOPAN USE (ISN-WCN 2026) - "Renal involvement was considered an organ manifestation of vasculitis, and prednisone (PSL) 0.5 mg/kg/day was initiated...Although avacopan was discontinued during amenamevir administration, prior avacopan use before starting amenamebvir may have led to increased amenamevir blood levels.Conclusion ANCA-associated vasculitis is a systemic disease causing multi-organ dysfunction, necessitating therapeutic intervention. Recent advances in molecularly targeted therapies, such as rituximab and avacopan, have expanded treatment options. Clinicians involved in future management must select optimal treatment strategies, considering both therapeutic timing, dosage, and administration methods, while also weighing healthcare economics."

Clinical • ANCA Vasculitis • Anorexia • Cardiovascular • Diabetes • Hepatology • Herpes Zoster • Hypertension • Inflammation • Liver Failure • Metabolic Disorders • Nephrology • Varicella Zoster • Vasculitis • CYP3A4

Amenamevir for acyclovir-resistant genital HSV-2 infection in people living with HIV (ESCMID Global 2026) - No abstract available

Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease

A Short Review and Update on Epidemiology, Treatment, and Management of Herpes Zoster (Shingles) Infection. (PubMed, Curr Pharm Des) - "However, only a few antivirals, such as acyclovir, famciclovir, valacyclovir, amenamevir, and brivudine, have clinical licenses for the treatment of HZ. This article reviews the etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, evaluation, and available treatments and vaccines for the management of HZ infection, using articles and reviews available in public databases to date (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and manual searches of Google Scholar). In addition, the differences in safety and effectiveness between the antivirals that are currently licensed for the treatment of HZ, the potential use of novel antivirals in the future for treating HZ, and the antivirals' therapeutic or preventive effects on ZAP or PHN are also discussed."

Journal • Herpes Zoster • Infectious Disease • Inflammation • Neuralgia • Pain • Varicella Zoster

Acute retinal necrosis due to HVS2 treated with amenamevir (PubMed, J Fr Ophtalmol) - No abstract available

Journal

Amenamevir for acyclovir-resistant genital HSV-2 infection in people living with HIV. (PubMed, J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol) - No abstract available

Journal • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease

Herpetic dendritic ulcer resistant to valaciclovir successfully treated with amenamevir. (PubMed, J Fr Ophtalmol) - No abstract available

Journal

Use of short-course oral amenamevir (helicase-primase inhibitor) for the treatment of thymidine analogue-resistant herpes simplex lesions. (PubMed, Int J STD AIDS) - "It had also failed to respond to topical therapies and cidofovir. A seven-day course of oral amenamevir provided excellent resolution of the lesions.ConclusionThese two cases highlight the challenges in managing aciclovir-resistant herpes simplex lesions and the swift resolution following treatment with a novel therapeutic agent, amenamevir. Early recognition of resistant HSV lesions allows for prompt outsourcing of alternative, novel anti-viral therapies such as amenamevir."

Journal • Herpes Simplex • Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Infectious Disease • Pain

Structural basis of herpesvirus helicase-primase inhibition by pritelivir and amenamevir. (PubMed, Sci Adv) - "The structures reveal a bilobed architecture highlighting HP coordinated action at the replication fork and providing a structural basis for HP inhibition by illustrating precisely how pritelivir and amenamevir block helicase activity. Data lay a solid foundation for the development of improved antiviral therapies."

Journal • Herpes Simplex • Infectious Disease • RPL11

Structural and mechanistic insights into herpesvirus helicase-primase and its therapeutic inhibitors. (PubMed, Nat Microbiol) - "Here we present the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of the HSV-1 HP apo-complex (3.8 Å), along with structures bound to pritelivir (3.2 Å) and amenamevir (3.2 Å)-two clinically active, chemically distinct HPIs. The potency of both inhibitors against HSV variants bearing mutations within the HPI binding pocket supports the high-resolution mapping of key molecular interactions while revealing residues that govern their antiviral spectrum against alphaherpesviruses. Our results provide important insight into the unique architecture of the HP complex and the mechanism of inhibition of HPIs, paving the way for the development of next-generation antivirals to treat herpesvirus infections."

Journal • Herpes Simplex • Infectious Disease

Discovery of a Baloxavir-Inspired Endonuclease Inhibitor That Prevents Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Replication in Cell Culture and In Vivo. (PubMed, Adv Sci (Weinh)) - "Acyclovir and other viral DNA polymerase inhibitors are effective antiviral agents for treating HSV infections. However, despite the recent approval of pritelivir and amenamevir (helicase-primase complex inhibitors), drug resistance is still a major threat to therapeutic success...LN-7 demonstrates antiviral efficacy in infected mice, while exhibiting fewer clinical signs compared to controls. Overall, LN-7 emerges as a promising lead for treating herpesvirus infections and is therefore a first-in-class drug candidate targeting HSV genome packaging."

Journal • Preclinical • Herpes Simplex • Infectious Disease

Structural determinants of nervous system exposure of adibelivir (IM-250) and related herpes helicase-primase inhibitors across animal species. (PubMed, Antiviral Res) - "In diverse animal species, after single or multiple doses of helicase-primase drugs by oral or intravenous administration, only adibelivir (IM-250) achieved concentrations in the nervous system in the range of plasma or blood levels (ratio 0.5 to 4 nervous system/plasma), while other helicase-primase inhibitors with distinct structures, including amenamevir, pritelivir or ABI-5366, showed a low brain/plasma ratio of less than 0.1. In preclinical studies published so far, adibelivir was efficacious in the herpes encephalitis and neonatal animal model and reduced the reactivation competence of the neuronal latent herpes viral reservoir. Ongoing clinical trials with HPIs will show whether sufficient drug exposure in brain and ganglia will translate into more effective herpes therapies for patients."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Herpes Simplex • Infectious Disease • Keratitis • Ocular Inflammation • Ophthalmology

Evaluation of the patent portfolio for helicase-primase inhibitor ABI-5366 of Assembly biosciences inc. (PubMed, Expert Opin Ther Pat) - P1 | "With amenamevir already approved for varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex in Japan and with pritelivir's granted breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of acyclovir-resistant HSV infections in immunocompromised patients, the target has sparked interest in helicase-primase inhibitors...This me-too approach on the old Bayer urea series is currently in clinical phase I (NCT06385327) and the modification is the bridging of the two urea nitrogens via an alkylene linkage. The chemical structure for 1,3-disubstituted tetrahydropyrimidin-2(1 H)-one derivative ABI-5366 is presented and its potential opportunities and limitations as a long-acting oral administration or injectable depot drug compared to other HPIs are discussed."

Journal • Herpes Simplex • Herpes Zoster • Infectious Disease • Varicella Zoster

Revealing Inaccuracies in Using Chemical Oxygen Demand to Evaluate Azo Dye Mineralization: A Case for Control Experiments. (PubMed, ACS Omega) - "COD values of a series of azo dyes were determined by following the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater Chemical Oxygen Demand Method 5220D (SM5220D) using five water-soluble azo dyes: chrysoidine G, methyl orange, basacryl red, Bismarck brown Y, and acid violet 3...The authors recommend that the control experiment developed here be performed first to inform researchers if the COD is appropriate to use with the chosen azo dyes. Only in this way can newly developed degradation systems be more accurately assessed."

Journal