Shackling shingle's pain

The most troublesome symptom of shingles is acute pain, which can develop into post-herpetic neuralgia. Inhibitex Inc. believes its FV-100 is more potent and faster at inhibiting viral replication than antivirals used as standard of care, which the biotech hopes will translate into a reduction in the severity and duration of acute pain for patients.

The company said FV-100 has the potential to be a first-line treatment if such a reduction can be shown in the clinic. A head-to-head Phase II trial begun this month will provide the first test...