The changing treatment options for CMV retinitis.

The author examines new treatment options and services for people with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a major opportunistic infection of people with advanced AIDS. The following CMV drugs: ganciclovir, foscarnet, cidofovir, ISIS 2922, and MSL 109, are examined in terms of their mechanism of action and how the virus evades them. The use of ganciclovir implants and oral ganciclovir are examined, as are efforts of testing for CMV in the central nervous system. It is revealed that effective, less harsh combinations of drugs to manage CMV are gradually emerging, but that corporate strategies and scientific mishap are impeding achievement of optimal therapeutic strategies. The only treatment currently and easily available is intravenous ganciclovir and foscarnet combined, which requires long-term infusion and has adverse effects.