Foscarnet Treatment of Serious CMV Retinitis Infection in Patients With Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Launched by NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES (NIAID) · Aug 30, 2001

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Foscarnet is active in vitro (test tube) against herpes viruses, including CMV, by inhibiting the virus DNA polymerases, enzymes necessary for virus replication, without affecting cellular DNA polymerases. Opportunistic CMV disease in AIDS is usually seen as retinitis, colitis, esophagitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, encephalitis, or pneumonia. Ganciclovir has been used to treat AIDS patients with CMV disease but can cause severe neutropenia (very low neutrophil cell counts). Foscarnet does not suppress the production of neutrophils or other leukocytes (myelosuppression) and has shown in vitr...

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Eligibility criteria

• • Exclusion Criteria
• Concurrent Medication:
• Excluded:
• • Acyclovir.
• • Zidovudine (AZT).
• • Any potentially nephrotoxic agent, especially aminoglycosides, pentamidine, or amphotericin B.
• Prior Medication:
• Excluded:
• • Ganciclovir.
• • Foscarnet.
• * Excluded within 7 days of study entry:
• • Any potentially nephrotoxic agent.
• * Excluded within 14 days of study entry:
• • Cytomegalovirus hyperimmune globulin in therapeutic doses.
• • Immunomodulators.
• • Biologic response modifiers.
• • Investigational agents.
• • Amphotericin B maintenance for a systemic mycosis.
• • Known allergy to foscarnet.
• • Active AIDS-defining opportunistic infection other than cytomegalovirus (CMV) including systemic mycosis, pulmonary or neurologic impairment (comatose).
• Patient must be diagnosed as having:
• • AIDS CDC Group IV.C.
• • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis as identified by its characteristic ophthalmoscopic appearance and verified by fundus photography.
• • One pending culture for CMV from blood and urine prior to study entry.