Introduction
Introduction
Ganciclovir and its prodrug valganciclovir, are used for the prevention or treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in immunocompromised or immunosuppressed patients.[1] While valganciclovir has been only recently approved for use in children by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both of these drugs are a common part of treatment protocols following renal, hepatic, lung, cardiac, or bone marrow transplantation in children of all ages.[2–4] Several recent studies suggest that these agents are very effective in preventing CMV in children with transplants and are generally well tolerated. Other recent papers have described successful treatment of congenital or neonatal CMV infection with these agents. This issue of Pediatric Pharmacotherapy will review the basic pharmacology of ganciclovir and valganciclovir and provide an overview of recent studies of their use in pediatric patients.
Pediatr Pharm. 2009;15(10) © 2009
Cite this: Ganciclovir and Valganciclovir Use in Children - Medscape - Oct 01, 2009.
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