New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)

04/11/2002
By Anne MacLennan

Oral valganciclovir appears to be as effective as intravenous ganciclovir for induction treatment in cytomegalovirus retinitis, the leading cause of visual loss in patients with AIDS.

Valganciclovir, a convenient and effective treatment, is a monovalyl estro prodrug. When administered orally, it is rapidly hydrolysed to the active compound ganciclovir.

Patients received a twice-daily dose of 900 mg of oral valganciclovir in this multicentre international study designed to compare the effects of oral valganciclovir with those of IV ganciclovir as induction therapy in newly diagnosed cytomegalovirus retinitis. The research was not designed to evaluate the differences between these two treatments for maintenance therapy.

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