Ruvidar(TM) demonstrates higher efficacy in the treatment of Herpes Simplex Virus, Type 1 versus the standard of care treatments Acyclovir and Abreva in a preclinical animal model.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 24, 2025) - Theralase® Technologies Inc. (TSXV: TLT) (OTCQB: TLTFF) ("Theralase®" or the "Company"), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research and development of light, radiation, sound and/or drug-activated small molecules and their formulations, intended for the safe and effective destruction of various cancers, bacteria and viruses, is pleased to announce that RuvidarTM has demonstrated a higher efficacy in the treatment of Herpes Simplex Virus, Type 1 ("HSV-1") versus standard of care treatments Acyclovir (1%) and Abreva in a preclinical animal model.
Herpes Simplex Virus ("HSV"), known as herpes, is a very common infection that can cause painful blisters or ulcers on the skin of an individual. It primarily spreads by skin-to-skin contact, while it is treatable, it is not curable.1
There are two main types of HSV:1
Type 1 ("HSV-1") generally spreads by oral contact and causes infections in or around the mouth, vermilion, upper or lower lip region (oral herpes or cold sores). It can also cause genital herpes. A majority of adults are infected with HSV-1.
Type 2 ("HSV-2") spreads by sexual contact and causes herpes in the genital region of an individual.
An estimated 3.8 billion people under the age of 50 (64%) globally have HSV-1, the main cause of oral herpes. An estimated 520 million people aged 15 to 49 (13%) globally have HSV-2, the main cause of genital herpes.1
The global HSV treatment market size was estimated at $USD 2.8 billion in 2024 and is expected to balloon to $USD 4.7 billion by 2033.2
The market growth can be attributed to the growing concerns over HSV infection, including, oral and genital herpes. Moreover, the infection is highly contagious, spreading via saliva, vaginal secretion or semen and is acquired unknowingly. These factors highlight the increasing need for treatment throughout the projected period.3
North America accounted for the largest market share of 37.1% in 2024, which can be attributed to higher consumption of branded herpes drugs, escalating healthcare expenditure, increasing launch of generics and favorable reimbursement policies.2
The HSV-1 lifecycle begins upon contact with mucosal surfaces and it is in this niche, where the virus actively replicates inducing local lesion formation. The virus then enters local sensory nerve endings and migrates back to neuronal cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system. It is in this location where the virus enters into a latent, non-replicative stage until later reactivation.4
Despite longstanding attempts at therapy and prevention, HSV remains among the most prevalent human infectious viral pathogens; therefore, it's imperative to keep HSV from replicating by implementing advanced vaccines and more effective drugs to combat and defeat this pervasive disease.
In the latest Theralase® research, Balb/C mice were infected with human HSV-1 virus on Day 0.
On Day 1 post-infection, these mice were treated once daily for 5 days with either: No Treatment, Abreva (a common over the counter treatment), Acyclovir (1%) or RuvidarTM (1%).
No Treatment
Figure 1. No treatment of HSV-1 infected cutaneous lesions
The results support the safety and efficacy of topically applied non-light activated Ruvidar® for accelerated healing of cutaneous HSV-1 lesions in a mouse model.
Pavel Kaspler, Ph.D., research scientist, Theralase®, who conducted the preclinical study stated, "I am extremely impressed with the efficacy of the RuvidarTM to successfully heal the HSV-1 lesions in an animal model versus common standard of care treatments, currently available, such as Abreva and Acyclovir. My next set of experiments will be to increase the number of daily applications of Abreva, Acyclovir and RuvidarTM (from once daily to 5 times daily) and increase the dosage of Acyclovir and RuvidarTM (1 to 5%) to see how this affects the healing time of HSV-1 lesions. It is my hope that my preclinical research leads to the development of a clinical treatment to aid the multitude of individuals suffering from cold sores."
Arkady Mandel, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Chief Scientific Officer, Theralase® stated, "Based on the chemical properties of RuvidarTM, I am not surprised that it has had such a dramatic effect on the inactivation of HSV-1 lesions in this animal model. It is well established in the literature that the HSV-1 virus' glycoproteins (glycans - gB and gC) are negatively charged, as is the Heparan Sulphate ("HS") receptors on a cell's surface (preferred binding site of the virus on a cell). This provides a novel mechanism (based on controlled electrostatic repulsion) that addresses how viruses balance between optimized viral attachment to target cells and efficient egress of progeny virus.5,6 On the other hand, RuvidarTM is positively charged.7 This allows RuvidarTM the unique ability to be able to bind to and block the glycoproteins on HSV-1, preventing binding to host cells, as well as on the HS cell surface receptors preventing the efficient egress of progeny virus. This leads to an inability of the virus to replicate, allowing accelerated healing of cold sore lesions."
Roger DuMoulin-White, B.Sc., P.Eng., Pro.Dir., President and Chief Executive Officer, Theralase® stated, "As always, I am in awe of the ability of RuvidarTM to effectively destroy cancer cells, as well as efficiently inactivate bacteria and viruses.Based on the success of this latest preclinical research, Theralase®, pending funding in 2025, will commence formulation of RuvidarTM into topical form, complete GLP toxicology and commence a Phase I/II adaptive clinical study to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of RuvidarTM in the accelerated healing of cold sore lesions in humans."
References: 1Herpes simplex virus 2 Herpes Simplex Virus Treatment Market Size, Top Share, Key Developments | By 2033 3 Herpes Simplex Virus Treatment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (HSV-1, HSV-2), By Drug (Acyclovir, Valacyclovir, Famciclovir), By Vaccine (Simplirix, Others), By Route of Administration, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030 4 Roizman B, Knipe DM, Whitley R. Herpes Simplex Viruses. 6th ed. In: Knipe DM, Howley PM, editors. Fields Virology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2013. pp. 1823-1897. 5 Transforms of Cell Surface Glycoproteins Charge Influences Tumor Cell Metastasis via Atypically Inhibiting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Including Matrix Metalloproteinases and Cell Junctions. Mingzhe Wang et al. Bioconjugate Chemistry. Vol. 34. Issue 8. July 2023 6 Olofsson S, Bally M, Trybala E, Bergström T. Structure and Role of O-Linked Glycans in Viral Envelope Proteins. Annu Rev Virol. 2023 Sep 29;10(1):283-304. doi: 10.1146/annurev-virology-111821-121007. Epub 2023 Jul 6. PMID: 37285578. 7Ruvidar(TM) Enhances Efficacy of Cancer Drug
About Theralase® Technologies Inc.: Theralase® is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research and development of light, radiation, sound and/or drug-activated small molecule compounds, their associated drug formulations and the light systems that activate them, with a primary objective of efficacy and a secondary objective of safety in the destruction of various cancers, bacteria and viruses.
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