Ganciclovir (Page 9 of 11)
14 CLINICAL STUDIES
14.1 Treatment of CMV Retinitis
In a retrospective, non-randomized, single-center analysis of 41 patients with AIDS and CMV retinitis diagnosed by ophthalmologic examination between August 1983 and April 1988, treatment with intravenous ganciclovir resulted in a delay in mean (median) time to first retinitis progression compared to untreated controls [105 (71) days from diagnosis vs. 35 (29) days from diagnosis]. Patients in this series received induction treatment of intravenous ganciclovir 5 mg/kg twice daily for 14 to 21 days followed by maintenance treatment with either 5 mg/kg once daily, 7 days per week or 6 mg/kg once daily, 5 days per week.
In a controlled, randomized study conducted between February 1989 and December 1990, immediate treatment with intravenous ganciclovir was compared to delayed treatment in 42 patients with AIDS and peripheral CMV retinitis; 35 of 42 patients (13 in the immediate-treatment group and 22 in the delayed-treatment group) were included in the analysis of time to retinitis progression. Based on masked assessment of fundus photographs, the mean [95% CI] and median [95% CI] times to progression of retinitis were 66 days [39, 94] and 50 days [40, 84], respectively, in the immediate-treatment group compared to 19 days [11, 27] and 13.5 days [8, 18], respectively, in the delayed-treatment group.
Data from trials ICM 1653, ICM 1774, and AVI 034, which were performed comparing intravenous ganciclovir to oral ganciclovir for treatment of CMV retinitis in patients with AIDS, are shown in Table 12 , and Figures 1 , 2 , and 3 , and are discussed below.
Demographics | ICM 1653 (n=121) | ICM 1774 (n=225) | AVI 034 (n=159) | |
Median age (years) Range | 38 | 37 | 39 | |
24-62 | 22-56 | 23-62 | ||
Sex | Males | 116 (96%) | 222 (99%) | 148 (93%) |
Females | 5 (4%) | 3 (1%) | 10 (6%) | |
Ethnicity | Asian | 3 (3%) | 5 (2%) | 7 (4%) |
Black | 11 (9%) | 9 (4%) | 3 (2%) | |
Caucasian | 98 (81%) | 186 (83%) | 140 (88%) | |
Other | 9 (7%) | 25 (11%) | 8 (5%) | |
Median CD 4 Count Range | 9.5 0-141 | 7.0 0-80 | 10.0 0-320 | |
Mean (SD) Observation Time (days) | 107.9 (43.0) | 97.6 (42.5) | 80.9 (47.0) |
Trial ICM 1653
In this randomized, open-label, parallel group trial, conducted between March 1991 and November 1992, patients with AIDS and newly diagnosed CMV retinitis received a 3-week induction course of intravenous ganciclovir solution, 5 mg/kg twice daily for 14 days followed by 5 mg/kg once daily for 1 additional week. Following the 21-day intravenous induction course, patients with stable CMV retinitis were randomized to receive 20 weeks of maintenance treatment with either intravenous ganciclovir solution, 5 mg/kg once daily, or ganciclovir capsules, 500 mg 6 times daily (3000 mg/day). The study showed that the mean [95% CI] and median [95% CI] times to progression of CMV retinitis, as assessed by masked reading of fundus photographs, were 57 days [44, 70] and 29 days [28, 43], respectively, for patients on oral therapy compared to 62 days [50, 73] and 49 days [29, 61], respectively, for patients on intravenous therapy. The difference [95% CI] in the mean time to progression between the oral and intravenous therapies (oral — IV) was -5 days [-22, 12]. See Figure 1 for comparison of the proportion of patients remaining free of progression over time.
Trial ICM 1774
In this three-arm, randomized, open-label, parallel group trial, conducted between June 1991 and August 1993, patients with AIDS and stable CMV retinitis following from 4 weeks to 4 months of treatment with intravenous ganciclovir solution were randomized to receive maintenance treatment with intravenous ganciclovir solution, 5 mg/kg once daily, ganciclovir capsules, 500 mg 6 times daily, or ganciclovir capsules, 1000 mg three times daily for 20 weeks. The study showed that the mean [95% CI] and median [95% CI] times to progression of CMV retinitis, as assessed by masked reading of fundus photographs, were 54 days [48, 60] and 42 days [31, 54], respectively, for patients on oral therapy compared to 66 days [56, 76] and 54 days [41, 69], respectively, for patients on intravenous therapy. The difference [95% CI] in the mean time to progression between the oral and intravenous therapies (oral — IV) was -12 days [-24, 0]. See Figure 2 for comparison of the proportion of patients remaining free of progression over time.
Trial AVI 034
In this randomized, open-label, parallel group trial, conducted between June 1991 and February 1993, patients with AIDS and newly diagnosed (81%) or previously treated (19%) CMV retinitis who had tolerated 10 to 21 days of induction treatment with intravenous ganciclovir, 5 mg/kg twice daily, were randomized to receive 20 weeks of maintenance treatment with either ganciclovir capsules, 500 mg 6 times daily or intravenous ganciclovir solution, 5 mg/kg/day. The mean [95% CI] and median [95% CI] times to progression of CMV retinitis, as assessed by masked reading of fundus photographs, were 51 days [44, 57] and 41 days [31, 45], respectively, for patients on oral therapy compared to 62 days [52, 72] and 60 days [42, 83], respectively, for patients on intravenous therapy. The difference [95% CI] in the mean time to progression between the oral and intravenous therapies (oral — IV) was -11 days [-24, 1]. See Figure 3 for comparison of the proportion of patients remaining free of progression over time.
Comparison of other CMV retinitis outcomes between oral and IV formulations (development of bilateral retinitis, progression into Zone 1, and deterioration of visual acuity), while not definitive, showed no marked differences between treatment groups in these studies. Because of low event rates among these endpoints, these studies are underpowered to rule out significant differences in these endpoints.
Figure 1. ICM 1653: Time to Progression of CMV Retinitis
Figure 2. ICM 1774: Time to Progression of CMV Retinitis
Figure 3. AVI 034: Time to Progression of CMV Retinitis
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