June 2002 Cover
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Oral treatment with the drug Valcyte (valganciclovir) appears to be as effective as its cousin ganciclovir, which is administered intravenously, for delaying the progression of
cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients. Valcyte is the first orally administered therapy approved for CMV retinitis and is converted to ganciclovir in the body.
CMV is a member of the herpesvirus family that in the immunocompromised patient can affect not only the retina of the eye, but also the colon, where it causes diarrhea, and
the esophagus, where it impairs the patient's ability to swallow. Currently, patients newly diagnosed with CMV retinitis are generally treated with injectable therapies, including ganciclovir,
which require long infusions that carry the risk of causing the life-threatening condition sepsis.
"Orally administered valganciclovir appears to be as effective as intravenous ganciclovir for... treatment and is convenient and effective for long-term management of CMV retinitis
in patients with AIDS," researchers conclude.
Editor's Note: from Reuters Health
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