Randomised trial of ganciclovir and acyclovir in the treatment of herpes simplex dendritic keratitis: a multicentre study.

Abstract

Aims-This study was designed to assess the relative efficacy of topical ganciclovir 0.15% gel and acyclovir 3/o ointment in the treatment of herpes simplex dendritic keratitis. Methods-Both treatment modalities were administered on a five times daily basis to patients suffering from herpes simplex keratitis. Patients were assigned randomly to one of the two treatment groups for the purpose of the trial. They were then examined on days 2, 7, 10, and 14 to assess the rate of healing of the dendritic ulceration. Results-There was no statistically significant difference detected in the rate of healing between the two treatment groups over the course of the trial. Conclusions-Review of the relative efficacy of topical ganciclovir and acyclovir in the treatment of herpes simplex dendritic keratitis showed that both treatment modalities were equally effective in their ability to heal the viral induced corneal ulceration. There were no significant side effects or adverse effects reported for either treatment modality.

Uso de ganciclovir 0,15% gel para tratamento de ceratoconjuntivite adenoviral

“…Ensaios clínicos demonstraram bons resultados comparados com o tratamento padrão com aciclovir. O ganciclovir mostrou ser um antiviral tópico seguro e eficaz, com menos toxicidade e posologia mais conveniente (15,(21)(22)(23) . No entanto não existem estudos registrados no ClinicalTrials.gov em relação ao uso do ganciclovir em ceratoconjuntivite adenoviral.…”

Ganciclovir Gel—A New Topical Treatment for Herpetic Keratitis

“…As mentioned above, four international trials have compared the safety and efficacy of ganciclovir 0.15% gel with acyclovir 3% in patients with HSK: three phase IIb trials conducted in Africa (study 1), 28,29 Europe (study 2), and Pakistan (study 3); and a phase III trial that stratified patients by dendritic or geographic ulcers (study 4) carried out in four European and African centers. The trials employed similar multicenter randomized designs, inclusion and exclusion criteria, dosing regimens, and end-points (study 3 was conducted at different sites within a single center).…”

Pharmacologic strategies in the prevention and treatment of corneal transplant rejection

“…Ganciclovir is available in a 0.15% gel (Virgan; Laboratoires Théa, Clermont-Ferrand, France). It has been shown to be as effective as acyclovir in the treatment of herpetic keratitis in man [32,33]. We previously studied the effects of topical ganciclovir 0.15% gel in the treatment of herpetic keratitis in 16 consecutive patients, and assessed the prophylaxis effects in 3 patients; 3 of the 6 had corneal grafts.…”

“…Ganciclovir 0.15% gel is safe and effective in the treatment and prevention of herpetic keratitis in patients undergoing corneal transplantation. Epithelial disease improvement and healing of the ulcer occur within 1 week of treatment with ganciclovir 0.15% gel [32][33][34]. Ganciclovir given in a gel form is easy to apply and does not cause blurring of vision like petrolatum-based ophthalmic ointments.…”