MINNEAPOLIS, January 30, 2008—University of Minnesota researchers have begun studying a new drug to treat infectious mononucleosis.

The goal of the study is to find out if people who take the antiviral drug valomaciclovir recover from mono faster. This is the first clinical test of valomaciclovir for mono, and it is being conducted exclusively at the University of Minnesota.

Anyone over the age of 18 whose mono symptoms are less than a week old may be eligible to join the placebo-controlled study; the researchers hope to recruit 40 participants during 2008.

Participants who qualify for the study will visit the research clinic 10 times over a six-month period. At each visit, the participant will have blood drawn and will gargle with a solution; both samples will help the researchers determine if the drug is working. Participants will be compensated at each visit with a gift card for the University of Minnesota Bookstore.

For more information about the study, please call (612) 625-1462.