FDA Approves Use of Drug for Chicken Pox

A drug already on the market for treatment of herpes won government approval for use against chicken pox, the first such medicine to attack the virus, the manufacturer said Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration endorsed the company’s findings that use of the drug Zovirax, known generically as acyclovir, can reduce the duration and severity of chicken pox, a spokeswoman for Burroughs Wellcome Co said.

The company estimates treatment with the drug will cost from $30 to $55, depending on the size and weight of the patient.

Up to now, virtually the only treatment for chicken pox has been to use lotions and other skin treatments to relieve itching.