*Signing can be anonymous. It takes about 10 seconds. Your name will not be searchable. *If you’re HSV-negative, your support helps real people move closer to peace 🤍 For over 30 years, people living with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) have been given essentially the same treatment options. Current antivirals only suppress symptoms temporarily, do not adequately prevent transmission, and do not address the virus’s ability to remain latent in the nervous system. Despite HSV affecting more than one billion people globally, meaningful innovation in treatment has stagnated. IM-250 represents one of the most promising breakthroughs in decades. Unlike existing drugs, IM-250 is designed to penetrate nerve cells where HSV hides in a dormant state. By targeting the virus at its source rather than only suppressing surface outbreaks, IM-250 has the potential to dramatically reduce reactivation, viral shedding, and transmission — a step toward what many researchers describe as a functional cure. While still under development, its mechanism of action is fundamentally different from outdated therapies and signals real progress for patients who have waited far too long. HSV is not a rare or minor condition. Millions of new HSV infections occur every year worldwide. HSV-2 infection significantly increases the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV, making this not only a personal health issue but a serious public health concern. Despite this, many doctors do not routinely test for HSV unless patients explicitly request it, leaving countless people unknowingly infected and continuing transmission cycles. Beyond the medical gaps, HSV is deeply stigmatized. A diagnosis often brings anxiety, depression, fear of intimacy, and social isolation. People report lasting impacts on their mental health, relationships, self-worth, and sense of safety in their own bodies. Physically, HSV can cause recurring pain, nerve symptoms, and complications that interfere with daily life — all while patients are told to “just live with it.” HSV may not often be fatal, but it can and does destroy peace of mind, emotional wellbeing, personal relationships, and quality of life. A condition affecting so many people should not be treated with indifference or delay. Patients deserve urgency, transparency, and access to modern science — not decades of waiting. This petition calls for global attention, accelerated development pathways, and patient-centered action to ensure that promising treatments like IM-250 are prioritized and brought forward with the seriousness this public health issue demands. Why IM-250 Matters: Potential Impact Beyond Symptom Control If IM-250 translates to humans as it has in preclinical studies, its impact could extend well beyond reducing outbreaks: • Reduced neonatal HSV risk By strongly suppressing viral reactivation and shedding, IM-250 could lower the risk of HSV transmission during pregnancy and childbirth, helping prevent severe neonatal infections. • Lower HIV acquisition risk HSV-2 is known to increase susceptibility to HIV through chronic inflammation and mucosal disruption. Effective suppression of HSV reactivation may reduce this biological risk factor. • Relief from chronic nerve pain and neurological symptoms HSV can cause persistent nerve pain, tingling, and sensory disturbances. IM-250’s neuronal-level activity offers hope for reducing these long-term complications. • Reduced risk of serious CNS complications HSV can lead to meningitis, encephalitis, and other brain-related complications. Limiting viral reactivation may decrease the likelihood of central nervous system involvement. • Support for antiviral-resistant cases IM-250 is a next-generation helicase–primase inhibitor with a different mechanism than standard antivirals, making it especially important for individuals with antiviral-resistant HSV. • Reduced transmission and long-term immune stress Sustained suppression of reactivation may reduce asymptomatic shedding, transmission risk, and chronic immune activation — improving overall quality of life. 
Please sign this petition to urge all relevant parties to greatly Accelerate the development of IM-250 and bring its benefits to the people as soon as possible. (Even if you’re HSV negative, every signature counts! please join the fight)