Health Conditions

What is on the horizon?

Researchers face two major challenges in their fight against shingles. The first challenge is to find a drug that will cure this viral infection when it strikes. The second is to learn more about the varicella zoster virus so the disease can be prevented, especially in patients known to be at high risk.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zostavax, a new vaccine to reduce the risk of shingles, for use in people 60 years of age and older. It is estimated that the vaccine may prevent almost 250,000 new cases of shingles that occur each year in the United States.

Also, The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is investigating a long-acting preparation of morphine, a type of narcotic pain killer, as a possible treatment for the pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia. In addition, testing on a more potent form of the chickenpox vaccine will begin soon. If this new vaccine is more effective than the existing one and if immunization of all children becomes widespread, shingles might never be a concern for this generation of children or for future generations when they reach adulthood.