New shingles drug brivudine aims to beat standard treatment in pain battle

NCT ID NCT07099157

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: Peking University Third Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This clinical trial compares two drugs for shingles (herpes zoster): brivudine and famciclovir. The study will enroll 140 adults with acute shingles to see which drug better reduces pain and speeds up healing. Researchers will track pain levels for up to 90 days and monitor for long-term nerve pain. The goal is to find a more effective treatment option.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: brivudine
What this could lead to: If brivudine works better than famciclovir, it could become a new standard treatment for shingles, reducing pain and the risk of long-term nerve pain.
What could go wrong: This is a Phase 4 trial, so brivudine is already approved, but it may not prove superior to famciclovir. Side effects are possible, and results may not apply to all patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

herpes zoster Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

HERPES ZOSTER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University
RECRUITING

Beijing, China
Peking University First Hospital
RECRUITING

Beijing, China
Peking University Third Hospital
RECRUITING

Beijing, 100191, China
Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Beijing, China

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