Topical formulations for the treatment of herpetic mucocutaneous infections have several potential benefits over oral and intravenous administration, including targeting of drug to the specific
sites of infection, higher tissue drug levels, reduced side effects,lower treatment costs, and better patient compliance and convenience.
Percutaneous penetration involves the dissolution of a drug in a vehicle, diffusion of the solubilized drug from the vehicle to
the surface of the skin, and the penetration of the drug through the layers of the skin. This penetration may be improved by selecting the appropriate vehicle. It was shown that the topical ACV in cream vehicle was significantly more effective than ACV ointment tested by in vitro penetration through excised guinea pig skin and by the dorsal cutaneous guinea pig model of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.