Oral Ganciclovir for Patients with Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Treated with a Ganciclovir Implant

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 340; no. 14; pp. 1063 - 1070
• Main Authors: Martin, Daniel F, Kuppermann, Baruch D, Wolitz, Richard A, Palestine, Alan G, Li, Hong, Robinson, Charles A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 08.04.1999
• Subjects: Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antiviral agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cytomegalovirus; Drug therapy; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Medical research; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; United States; North America; America; Acyclic nucleoside; Purine nucleoside; Retinopathy; Betaherpesvirinae; Human cytomegalovirus; Local administration; Ganciclovir; Adult; Antiviral; Complication; Human; Immunopathology; Implant; Herpesviridae; Oral administration; AIDS; Immune deficiency; Infection; Virus; Eye disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Viral disease; Retinitis; Combined treatment; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199904083401402

Cytomegalovirus retinitis is the leading cause of visual loss in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). 1 – 3 Systemic administration of ganciclovir, 4 – 6 foscarnet, 4 or cidofovir 7 , 8 results in the initial control of retinitis. However, the time to relapse is relatively short, in part because of the poor ocular bioavailability of most systemically administered compounds. 9 – 11 The ganciclovir implant delivers drug directly into the vitreous cavity, resulting in higher sustained intraocular levels than can be achieved with systemic therapy. 12 In two randomized clinical trials, the implant produced a longer-lasting therapeutic effect in the eye than has been achieved with systemic . . .