Acyclovir (ophthalmic)

FDA label, Fera Pharmaceuticals, LLC, ophthalmic, effective 2026-01-05. Full label on DailyMed

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Quoted from the FDA label. Product labels differ by manufacturer and change over time; confirm against the label for the product you are using.

Herpes Simplex Virus Nucleoside Analog DNA Polymerase Inhibitor, Herpes Zoster Virus Nucleoside Analog DNA Polymerase Inhibitor, Herpesvirus Nucleoside Analog DNA Polymerase Inhibitor

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  • Acyclovir (ophthalmic)
Label text (1 paragraph)

No clinically significant interactions have been identified resulting from topical administration of other drugs concomitantly with AVACLYR.

Contraindications

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS AVACLYR is contraindicated for patients who develop sensitivity to acyclovir or valacyclovir. AVACLYR is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to acyclovir or valacyclovir.

Safety data

Reported adverse events (FAERS)

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Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System via openFDA

Liver injury (LiverTox)

D

Likelihood score D: Possible rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury.

Acyclovir is a nucleoside analogue and antiviral agent used in therapy of herpes and varicella-zoster virus infections. Acyclovir has not been associated with clinically apparent liver injury.

ABCDEA: well known cause; E: unlikely cause. [HD]: high doses only.

Source: LiverTox: Acyclovir (NIDDK, public domain)Chapter updated Feb 4, 2016

Pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary A prospective epidemiologic registry of acyclovir use from 1984 to 1999 indicated that the occurrence rate of birth defects in women exposed to systemically administered acyclovir during the first trimester of pregnancy (period of organogenesis) approximated that found in the general population. Likewise, oral and subcutaneous administration of acyclovir to pregnant mice, rats, and rabbits during organogenesis did not produce teratogenicity at clinically relevant doses (see Animal Data ) . Data Human Data A prospective epidemiologic registry of acyclovir use during pregnancy was established in 1984 and completed in April 1999.

There were 749 pregnancies followed in women exposed to systemically administered acyclovir during the first trimester of pregnancy resulting in 756 outcomes. The occurrence rate of birth defects approximates that found in the general population. However, the small size of the registry is insufficient to evaluate the risk for less common defects, or to permit reliable or definitive conclusions regarding the safety of acyclovir in pregnant women and their developing fetuses. The human maternal plasma level of acyclovir following ocular administration is unknown.

Animal Data In published animal reproduction studies, acyclovir was not maternally toxic and did not produce teratogenicity in the mouse at oral doses up to 450 mg/kg/day (1100 times the maximum recommended human ophthalmic dose [RHOD] on a mg/m 2 basis, assuming 100% absorption), or in the rat and rabbit at subcutaneous doses up to 50 mg/kg/day (approximately 250 and 500 times the RHOD, respectively) when administered throughout the period of organogenesis. Administration of acyclovir from postnatal days 3 to 21 did not produce adverse effects in neonatal rats at subcutaneous doses less than or equal to 20 mg/kg/day (100 times the RHOD).

Breastfeeding (LactMed)

Even with the highest maternal dosages, the dosage of acyclovir in milk is only about 1% of a typical infant dosage and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. Acyclovir is considered a treatment of choice for Herpes infections during breastfeeding. Topical acyclovir applied to small areas of the mother's body away from the breast should pose no risk to the infant. Only water-miscible cream or gel products should be applied to the breast because ointments may expose the infant to high levels of mineral paraffins via licking.

Alternatives LactMed suggests considering:
Source: LactMed: Acyclovir (NICHD, public domain)Revised Feb 15, 2026

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