How are Herpes Viruses Potentially Implicated in Fibromyalgia, As Well As Both Fatigue and Gastroint
- William L. Pridgen, M.D
- May 12, 2022
- 3 min read

Nearly four billion people around the world are infected with herpes viruses. Herpes viruses are highly contagious, and most people who become infected are asymptomatic and unaware that they have been infected with a Herpes virus. It is possible to have been infected with multiple different Herpes viruses over the course of a lifetime. Herpes viruses that commonly infect people and remain dormant in the nervous system include Human Herpes Virus-1 (HHV-1, also commonly referred to as HSV-1), HHV-4 (EBV), HHV-5 (CMV, cytomegalovirus virus) and HHV-3 (Herpes varicella-zoster), the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles. Virios Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VIRI) hypothesizes that resident herpes viruses may remain dormant for months or years before reactivating in response to decreased immune surveillance due to stress, genetics or other factors. The Company believes activated herpes viruses may trigger or maintain conditions such as fibromyalgia (FM), chronic fatigue and GI related disorders.
VIRI believes a growing body of both clinical and mechanistic research supports this hypothesis. VIRI’s lead development candidate, IMC-1, is a combination antiviral treatment that has been specifically designed to convert activated replicating herpes viruses back into a dormant state. This, in turn, allows a patient’s immune response to reset, with the hope that symptoms will then improve as a result. As evidence of this thesis in action, in a Phase 2a clinical study, orally administered IMC-1 demonstrated significant FM related pain reduction, improved patient health and was tolerated as well as placebo in patients diagnosed with FM.
Antiviral therapy
As a physician who specialized in GI disorders including gastrointestinal reflux, ulcers and irritable bowel, I saw a large number of patients with pain and fatigue that was not explained by any obvious physical or laboratory findings. In 2002, I noticed that many of my patients with gastrointestinal (GI) issues had recurring symptoms that appeared to get worse during times of stress. It seemed clear to me that these symptoms could be caused by reactivation of a previous herpes virus infection, especially in light of the waxing and waning nature of patients’ symptoms. I began prescribing antiviral drugs, which not only improved patients’ GI symptoms, but in many patients resolved other symptoms including depression, fatigue and pain. These insights and experiences led me to form Innovative Med Concepts, which later transformed into Virios Therapeutics, Inc.
The Virios Therapeutics Research Pipeline
The Company has secured intellectual property protection for a pipeline of combination antiviral development candidates. Our lead development candidate, IMC-1, is a novel, proprietary, fixed dose combination of famciclovir and celecoxib designed to synergistically suppress herpes virus replication, with the end goal of reducing virally promoted disease symptoms. IMC-1 has been granted fast track designation by the FDA and is currently being tested in a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (“FORTRESS”), designed to potentially serve as a supportive registrational study. Evidence of IMC-1’s efficacy on a broad spectrum of FM outcome measures was demonstrated in a previous Phase 2a clinical study. The Company is pursuing a second development candidate, IMC-2 (valacyclovir and celecoxib), as a potential treatment for managing the fatigue, poor sleep, pain, autonomic dysfunction and anxiety associated with Long COVID, otherwise known as Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). The Company has provided Bateman Horne Center with an unrestricted investigational grant to conduct this study on a cohort of PASC patients.
What’s next?
Virios Therapeutics, Inc. recently announced that it has completed enrollment in its Phase 2b FORTRESS (Fibromyalgia Outcome Research Trial Evaluating Synergistic Suppression of Herpes Simplex Virus study), which is a follow-up randomized, double-blind evaluation of IMC-1 in patients with FM. If results from the ongoing FORTRESS study are consistent with the previously completed Phase 2a study, we believe that IMC-1 has the potential to be a novel new treatment for the millions of patients across the globe living with FM, many of whom are looking for safe and effective new therapies.
I was diagnosed of HSV (Herpes) few years ago and my doctor told me there was no permanent cure for the disease. I was given medication to slow down the progress of the virus. At the initial stage it was not so bad till it progressed to a stage were i had difficulties going about my daily activities because i constantly felt pains in my penis, and around my genital were i had these blisters. I was totally devastated and i was even ashamed to complain to anyone. I saw a publication about a doctor called Dr.Water, and from what i read, he was using herbal medicines to cure illnesses like HERPES, Human papillomavirus, ALS, Diabetes, HIV, and so on.…
I WAS CURED OF HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS BY DR WATER, THE GREAT HERBALIST. 🌿☘️
i am so happy to share this testimony with the world because generally there are so many doubts about the cure of HERPES simplex virus. This is real take it serious, my name is HENRIETTE AMUNAZO and i am so happy that today i can give this testimony to the world and also help people who has been condemned just as i was. Who will believe that a herb can cure HERPES completely from the body?, i never believed that this will work, i have spend a lot of money getting drugs from the hospital to supress outbreaks, it got to a time that all i…
Hello, i am Marcelo Paes Costa Junior, and i am from Rio, in Brazil. Let me give this testimony to the public about a great herbal doctor who helped me out with my own illness. I had HIV/AIDS for over 5 years and I was almost going to the end of my life due to the way my skin looked like. All I have in my mind is to give up, because life is not interesting to me any longer. One night, my sister ran to me that she found a doctor in the internet who can cure HIV/AIDS, i was not even interested because i never believed. She help me out on everything the doctor asked for, filled the…
Never give up in life. They all say no cure to HSV 2 (genital herpes) which is a big lie. I have seen many people ignorantly say this and so i never believed there was really a cure to HERPES until I met Dr.Water, the doctor that have been helping many people for many years. I come across this doctor on facebook when I was searching for possible cures online. I found out about this man, and to my greatest surprise this man has the solution to my problem and even many other health problems people are going through out there, which some of us have been looking for, for many years. I explained my history of herpes problem …
Do you believe that Herpes has a permanent cure? My name is Antonio Jefferson Cole, I'm in Salt Lake City, Utah. I have been spending lots of money weekly on buying the popular Valtrex and sometimes Acyclovir, to suppress my Herpes outbreaks as prescribed to me in the hospital. Anyone who has herpes can attest this, with all the pains and embarrassing symptoms. Unfortunately, I have found out that those hospital recommended products are frequently not effective at taking care of the problem but rather make you spend all your money. DR.WATER herbal remedy will get to the root of the cause and cure you completely rather than suppress outbreaks with medication. And you will be happier, healthier, and outbreak…