Would ASHASTD or some other organization be capable of setting up a funding arm for herpes research? Would this be something people would contribute to? I know I would if I knew it was legitimate. Does it already exist? An organization that collects money to further the research for a cure and vaccine possibilities for HSV? Would this be allowed?

I've been doing "a ton" of reading on the Internet these past few months and there have been many discoveries, the researchers would say. But as was quoted in the following news article from a Dr. Corey at the Uof Washington, Seattle, his opinion is that lack of funding is slowing down the path to a cure for herpes.

http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health ... 03168.html

Now some may say this is self serving on his part but I buy it. Many health issues today have funding organizations that provide money to further their research.

Why not herpes then? Look how much awareness was made over the herpes dating site on CNN and the late night talk shows.

Asha does does accept donations for herpes research. There is info on it on their main page of their website. They also publish "the helper" which is a quarterly I think it is newsletter with updates on what's going on with herpes.

Betsy

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ASHA Moderator

I'm a bit late to the party on this topic, but I am aware of a novel anti-viral under development by a German pharmaceutical co that is an order of magnitude more effective at suppressing HSV-2 than current anti-virals in animal studies, with a very low side effect profile. It also works on strains of HSV-2 which are resistant to current anti-virals. I believe they are doing human trials around now, and could have a product out within a few years (i.e. 2-4) if human trials go OK. They have clamped down on confidentiality lately, but I have some articles and comments from the lead researcher, some of which are in the public domain anyhow.

This product would help fill the gap where vaccines won't protect people who already have the virus, it would help prevent transmission and resolve troubling painful symptoms.

There is always hope out there anyhow even if this product has some unforeseen problem, as I guess our knowledge of viruses and ways of stopping them biochemically is improving all the time -- so there is always a ray of hope for people who are feeling down and dreading the future with this disease!