Botox Trial For Herpes
There are over 75 medical trials currently underway in the United States researching various treatments for herpes that are actively seeking volunteers.
Botox
Botox, which is usually used as a cosmetic treatment, is being investigated to see if it can prevent cold sore outbreaks.
The Research
The research team is based in Chicago, Illinois and is conducting a double blind, randomized study, with a placebo control, to see how safe and effective Botox is for treating cold sores (herpes labialis). The total length of the trial is 24 months and participants will be required to keep a pain and symptom assessment diary. You will need to be able to go to the research lab every three months for 12 months for Botox or placebo injections. If you have an outbreak, you will also need to report it to the researchers and go into the lab for assessment.
Who Qualifies
There are certain criteria to meet before you can be accepted in the trial. First you need to suffer with between 2 and 6 herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) outbreaks a year, not use antivirals for at least 2 weeks prior to the treatment, and be willing to agree to the terms of the research. There are other requirements, including not having had Botox treatment for cosmetic reasons for the previous 6 months.
Things To Consider
If you are interested in being involved in a medical trial you must make sure that you understand all the requirements and risks involved. First of all, if you are allocated to the control group you will not benefit from the medicine or treatment being tested. However, you will be helping medical research find out if something is effective or not. Medical trials can be risky and you must make sure that you understand all the risks involved. Some trials can be potentially very dangerous, even if the risks are very small. You may have an unknown adverse reaction to the treatment or procedure, which is of course one of the things the trial is trying to discover. If you have an allergic reaction to the treatment, it is very important to report it to the researchers since it may mean the drug or treatment can't be released for general use. Remember, when you participate in a medical trial, you are a sort of human guinea pig. Nevertheless, one of the advantages of being in a trial is that you get to try an experimental treatment or procedure usually before it gets FDA approval. In many cases, the treatment is not only free, but you may even be paid for your time and inconvenience!
Other Herpes Trials
There are many other trials going on in the United States investigating a variety of treatments for herpes. Trials go from complementary therapies like acupuncture, through dietary supplements like glutamine, to the ZOSTAVAXTM vaccine. If you are interested in participating in a medical study or trial, ask your family doctor or herpes specialist for more information or a referral.
The Company
DeNOVA, the company conducting the Botox research, is always looking for people to participate in various studies and medical research. However, make sure you completely understand if there are any risks to your health and exactly what ias involved before you sign up.