Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT00000698

A Treatment Protocol for the Use of Intravenous Ganciclovir in AIDS Patients With Immediately Sight-Threatening CMV Retinitis

To determine the safety and effectiveness of intravenous ganciclovir (also known as DHPG) in the treatment of sight-threatening cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in patients with AIDS. CMV retinitis is a severe vision-threatening viral infection of the retina of the eye. It occurs in patients whose immune function has been impaired and is the most common cause of blindness in patients with AIDS. Ganciclovir (GCV) improved the signs and symptoms of CMV retinitis in approximately 80 percent of the patients treated for 2 weeks, but almost all of the patients treated with GCV had a relapse after treatment was stopped. Thus, it is important to determine if GCV can be safely given over a long period of time (maintenance therapy) and if it is effective in preventing a relapse of CMV retinitis.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Cytomegalovirus Retinitis AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors Blood-Borne Infections Communicable Diseases Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities Cytomegalovirus Infections DNA Virus Infections Eye Diseases Eye Infections Eye Infections, Viral Genetic Diseases, Inborn Genital Diseases HIV Infections Herpesviridae Infections Immune System Diseases Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes Infections Lentivirus Infections Metabolic Diseases Metabolism, Inborn Errors Mitochondrial Diseases Multiple Acyl Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase Deficiency Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Opportunistic Infections RNA Virus Infections Retinal Diseases Retinitis Retroviridae Infections Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral Slow Virus Diseases Urogenital Diseases Virus Diseases

Age range

3 month and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Natl Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis / Cln Ctr

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

About this study

CMV retinitis is a severe vision-threatening viral infection of the retina of the eye. It occurs in patients whose immune function has been impaired and is the most common cause of blindness in patients with AIDS. Ganciclovir (GCV) improved the signs and symptoms of CMV retinitis in approximately 80 percent of the patients treated for 2 weeks, but almost all of the patients treated with GCV had a relapse after treatment was stopped. Thus, it is important to determine if GCV can be safely given over a long period of time (maintenance therapy) and if it is effective in preventing a relapse of CMV retinitis.

Patients are given GCV intravenously for 14 days. Then the patient receives the same dose, but only once a day, for as long as therapy is tolerated. If the retinitis worsens during the maintenance phase, the patient may again be given GCV for 14 days. Long-term treatment with GCV usually requires the surgical placement of a catheter in a large central vein in the chest or groin that is left in place indefinitely. If this is required, the procedure will be explained to the patient.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

  • Aerosolized pentamidine prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
  • Topical ophthalmics.
  • Topical acyclovir.

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

  • Hemodialysis for patients with renal impairment.

Patients must have:

  • Diagnosis of AIDS and immediately sight-threatening cytomegalovirus retinitis.

Prior Medication:

Allowed:

  • Zidovudine.
  • Prior therapy for retinitis.

Exclusion criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded:

  • Non-immediately sight-threatening cytomegalovirus retinitis.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

  • Systemic investigational agents such as antimetabolites, alkylating agents, nucleoside analogs, acyclovir sodium (Zovirax).
  • Interferon.
  • Cytokines.
  • Foscarnet (non-nucleoside pyrophosphate analog).
  • Ganciclovir may be withheld for up to 21 days for an acute course with an investigational or toxic therapy or oral / IV acyclovir.

Patients with the following are excluded:

  • Non-immediately sight-threatening cytomegalovirus retinitis.

Treatment and study plan

Ganciclovir

Drug

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Nih

Registry information

Important dates

Study completion
2007
First posted
Aug 31, 2001
Registry last updated
Sep 30, 2008

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.