[Valganciclovir. Oral treatment of Cytomegalovirus infections].

Valganciclovir is an orally administered prodrug of ganciclovir, the most widely used drug in the clinical management of Cytomegalovirus infections. The good bioavailability and the rapid conversion into ganciclovir provide oral valganciclovir with pharmacokinetic properties approaching those of intravenously administered ganciclovir. The first-reported clinical applications confirm the efficacy of valganciclovir in the treatment of Cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients and the prophylaxis of Cytomegalovirus disease after organ transplantations, which are the currently approved indications. Broader application of valganciclovir is to be expected in the pre-emptive treatment of organ as well as stem-cell transplant recipients. This drug also increases the potential for prophylactic applications, which may lead to the development of viral resistance.