Acyclovir prophylaxis reduces varicella infections in children receiving intensive chemotherapy
Published on 24 September 2026
Dr Chetan Dhamne speaks to ecancer about a randomised, double-blind trial evaluating acyclovir pre-exposure prophylaxis for varicella-seronegative children receiving intensive chemotherapy for haematolymphoid malignancies.
He reports that acyclovir reduced the incidence of varicella from 21.2% with placebo to 1.8%, representing a 90% relative reduction in infection.
Dr Dhamne explains that the trial was stopped early for efficacy after meeting its predefined statistical boundary, with no drug-related toxicity observed.
He highlights that oral acyclovir could provide a simple, safe and relatively inexpensive strategy for preventing varicella-related morbidity and treatment interruptions, particularly in resource-constrained paediatric oncology settings where exposure is difficult to control.