India, May 24 -- Researchers have developed a new treatment formula - known as GS-1 - that could reduce the symptoms and contagiousness of the viruses behind shingles and cold sores.

Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV) infect more than 66 per cent of the population, causing a significant global health concern.

There is no vaccine for HSV and limited use of the shingles vaccine due to availability, awareness and cost. Existing antiviral drugs for each condition must be used early to be effective and are prone to drug resistance.

Lead researcher Dr Ebony Monson from the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences (LIMS) said the GS-1 formula targeted the viruses before they began replicating through a novel mechan...