The ganciclovir implant offers the most efficacy of any initial treatment for CMV retinitis, probably due to the high concentrations of drug that it delivers to the inner eye. Implants contain enough ganciclovir to last about eight months. The implants need to be placed surgically, however, and the procedure may contribute to retinal detachment. Ganciclovir is also available as an intraocular implant. The implant offers the most efficacy of any initial treatment for CMV retinitis, probably due to the high concentrations of drug that it delivers to the inner eye.
Implants contain enough ganciclovir to last about eight months.
However, certain risks do accompany this treatment option. The implants need to be placed surgically, and the procedure can have complications that impair vision. In addition, intraocular implants do not protect against CMV in the GI tract or the lungs, two common sites of infection. However, the results of a recent study indicate that combining oral ganciclovir therapy with an implant can substantially reduce the risks that the patient will develop CMV disease in the untreated eye or elsewhere in the body. Cidofovir The F.D.A. recently approved another drug for use against cytomegalovirus infections.