Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition and method for preventing or treating a zoster-associated pain. The inventors found that an N-{2-[(4-substituted phenyl)amino]-2-oxoethyl}tetrahydro-2H-thiopyran-4-carboxamide compound useful as a varicella-zoster virus (VZV) unexpectedly has the effect to prevent an irreversible nerve degeneration accompanied by herpes virus infection, and therefore is also useful as an agent for preventing or treating zoster-associated pain, and thus accomplished the present invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel method for selecting an immunosuppressive agent with a less thrombocytopenia effect. According to the invention, a method for selecting an immunosuppressive agent which has a potent immunosuppressive activity but a lower thrombocytopenia effect, said method comprising measuring an IL-2 transcription inhibitory activity in a test cell in to which an IL-2 reporter gene has been introduced in the coexistence of an analyte, while measuring a GATA-1 transcription inhibitory activity in the test cell into which a GATA-1 reporter gene has been introduced in the coexistence of an analyte, and comparing both the transcription inhibitory activities, is provided.