Systematic review and meta-analysis: Effectiveness of Brivudine for herpes zoster

Brivudine, an analogue of thymidine, effectively treats herpes zoster without raising adverse reaction risks, and outperforms acyclovir and valaciclovir in reducing postherpetic neuralgia.

This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness along with the safety profile of Brivudine for post-herpetic neuralgia (the most common complication of shingles or herpes zoster).

The data from randomized controlled trials with the use of Brivudine for herpes zoster were gathered from various databases, including Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, Embase, China Science Journal Database, and WanFang Database, covering literature up to September 12, 2022.

This analysis comprised of 7 randomized trials, involving 2095 patients in the experimental group with Brivudine given orally and; 2076 patients in the control group.

Results indicated that the Brivudine group demonstrated superior efficacy (p = .0002) and a lower incidence of post-herpetic neuralgia (p = .04) compared to the control group. The occurrence of adverse responses was similar in both groups. Furthermore, subgroup analysis of adverse events advocated that Brivudine had a comparable safety profile to other treatment modalities for HZ.

Although the evidence regarding the safety of Brivudine remains inconclusive, its efficacy in the treatment of herpes zoster is well-established.