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PENCICLOVIR

Generic: Penciclovir

Verified·Apr 23, 2026
Manufacturer
Mylan
NDC
0378-0896
RxCUI
312255
Route
TOPICAL
ICD-10 indication
B00.1

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About PENCICLOVIR

What is this medication? Penciclovir is an antiviral prescription medication primarily used to treat recurrent herpes labialis, which is more commonly known as cold sores. These sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and usually appear on the lips or the skin around the mouth. The medication is typically available as a topical cream that is applied directly to the affected area at the first sign of symptoms, such as tingling, redness, or the appearance of a small bump.

This medication works by interfering with the way the herpes virus reproduces, which helps to slow the spread of the infection within the skin cells. While it does not cure the virus or prevent future outbreaks from occurring, it can effectively shorten the healing time and reduce the pain associated with active cold sores. For the best results, patients are generally advised to start the treatment as soon as possible after noticing the early warning signs of an outbreak.

Copay & patient assistance

  • Patient Copay Amount: $0 (Medicines are provided for free to eligible patients)
  • Maximum Annual Benefit Limit: Not Publicly Available
  • Core Eligibility Restrictions: Patients must have a demonstrated financial need; eligibility is determined by following instructions on the specific medicine's application.
  • RxBIN, PCN, and Group numbers: Not Publicly Available

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Prescribing information

From the FDA-approved label for PENCICLOVIR. Official source: DailyMed (NLM) · Label effective Sep 4, 2019

Indications and usage
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Penciclovir cream is a deoxynucleoside analog HSV DNA polymerase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores) in adults and children 12 years of age or older. Penciclovir cream is a deoxynucleoside analog HSV DNA polymerase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores) in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. ( 1 )
Dosage and administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Apply penciclovir cream every 2 hours during waking hours for a period of 4 days. Start treatment as early as possible (i.e., during the prodrome or when lesions appear). • Apply penciclovir cream every 2 hours during waking hours for a period of 4 days ( 2 ). • Start treatment as early as possible (i.e., during the prodrome or when lesions appear). ( 2 )
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Penciclovir cream is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the product or any of its components. • Contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the product or any of its components. ( 4 )
Warnings and precautions
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • Only for topical use of herpes labialis on the lips and face. ( 5 ) 5.1 General Penciclovir cream should only be used on herpes labialis on the lips and face. Because no data are available, application to human mucous membranes is not recommended. Particular care should be taken to avoid application in or near the eyes since it may cause irritation. Lesions that do not improve or that worsen on therapy should be evaluated for secondary bacterial infection. The effect of penciclovir cream has not been established in immunocompromised patients.
Drug interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS No drug interaction studies have been performed with penciclovir cream. Due to minimal systemic absorption of penciclovir, systemic drug interactions are unlikely.
Adverse reactions
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS • One or more local skin reactions were reported by 3% of the subjects treated with penciclovir cream and 4% of placebo-treated patients. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Mylan at 1-877-446-3679 (1-877-4-INFO-RX) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Studies Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. In two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, 1,516 patients were treated with penciclovir cream and 1,541 with placebo. One or more local adverse reactions were reported by 3% of the patients treated with penciclovir cream and 4% of placebo-treated patients. The rates of reported local adverse reactions are shown in Table 1. TABLE 1 - Local Adverse Reactions Reported in Phase III Trials Penciclovir N = 1,516 % Placebo N = 1,541 % Application site reaction 1 2 Hypesthesia/Local anesthesia < 1 < 1 Taste perversion < 1 < 1 Rash (erythematous) < 1 < 1 Two studies, enrolling 108 healthy subjects, were conducted to evaluate the dermal tolerance of 5% penciclovir cream (a 5-fold higher concentration than the commercial formulation) compared to vehicle using repeated occluded patch testing methodology. The 5% penciclovir cream induced mild erythema in approximately one-half of the subjects exposed, an irritancy profile similar to the vehicle control in terms of severity and proportion of subjects with a response. No evidence of sensitization was observed. 6.2 Post-Marketing Experience The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of penciclovir cream. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. The following events have been identified from worldwide post-marketing use of penciclovir cream in treatment of recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores) in adults. These events have been chosen for inclusion due to a combination of their seriousness, frequency of reporting, or potential causal connection to penciclovir cream. General: Headache, oral/pharyngeal edema, parosmia. Skin: Aggravated condition, decreased therapeutic response, local edema, pain, paresthesia, pruritus, skin discoloration, and urticaria.
Use in pregnancy
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Penciclovir is not absorbed systemically following topical administration and maternal use is not expected to result in fetal exposure to the drug.

Label text is reproduced as-is from the FDA-approved label. We do not paraphrase, summarize, or omit. Content above is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your prescribing clinician or pharmacist before making decisions about your medication.

Conditions we've indexed resources for

Click a condition to see copay cards, grants, and PA rules specific to it. For the full list of FDA-approved indications, see Prescribing information above.

Medicare Part D coverage

How PENCICLOVIR appears across Medicare Part D plan formularies nationally. Source: CMS monthly Prescription Drug Plan file (2026-04-30).

Covered by plans

12%

661 of 5,509 plans

Most common tier

Tier 4

On 49% of covering formularies

Prior authorization required

3%

of covering formularies

TierFormularies on this tierShare
Tier 1 (preferred generic)17
27%
Tier 2 (generic)11
17%
Tier 3 (preferred brand)4
6%
Tier 4 (non-preferred brand)31
49%

Step therapy: 2% of formularies

Quantity limits: 75% of formularies

Coverage breadth: 63 of 65 formularies

How to read this:plans on the same formulary share tier + PA rules. Your specific plan's copay depends on (a) the tier above, (b) your plan's cost-share for that tier, (c) whether you're in the initial coverage phase or past the 2026 $2,000 out-of-pocket cap. For your exact plan, check its Summary of Benefits or log in to your Medicare.gov account. Copay cards don't apply to Medicare (federal law).

Prior authorization & coverage

PayerPAStep therapyCopay tier

Medicare Part D

Medicare Part D

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How this page is sourced

  • Drug identity verified against openFDA NDC Directory.
  • Label text (when shown) originates from NLM DailyMed.
  • Copay and assistance URLs verified periodically; if you hit a broken link, tell us.