Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Valcyte

Valganciclovir hydrochloride (Valcyte®) is an antiviral medication used to treat cytomegalovirus infections. As the L-valyl ester of ganciclovir, it is actually a prodrug for ganciclovir. After oral administration, it is rapidly converted to ganciclovir by intestinal and hepatic esterases. more...

Home
Diseases
Medicines
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
Hydrocodone
Vagifem
Valaciclovir
Valcyte
Valganciclovir
Valine
Valium
Valnoctamide
Valproate semisodium
Valproic acid
Valpromide
Valrelease
Valsartan
Valstar
Valtrex
Vancenase
Vanceril
Vancomycin
Vaniqa
Vanticon
Vecuronium bromide
Velcade
Velivet
Venlafaxine
Ventolin
Vepesid
Verapamil
Verelan
Vermox
Versed
Vfend
Viadur
Viagra
Vicoprofen
Vidarabine
Vidaza
Videx
Vigabatrin
Viloxazine
Vinblastine
Vincristine
Vinorelbine
Viomycin
Vioxx
Viracept
Viread
Visine
Vistide
Visudyne
Vitaped
Vitrase
Vivelle
Volmax
Voltaren
Voriconazole
Vosol
W
X
Y
Z

Administration

Orally, available in 450 mg pink tablets. Dosing is calculated to provide appropriate doses of ganciclovir; 900 mg of valganciclovir orally every 12 hours is equivalent to 5 mg per kilogram of body weight of intravenous ganciclovir, also every 12 hours.

Pharmacokinetics

  1. Oral bioavailability is approximately 60%. Fatty foods significantly increase the bioavailability and the peak level in the serum.
  2. It takes about 2 hours to reach maximum concentrations in the serum.
  3. Valganciclovir is eliminated as ganciclovir in the urine, with a half-life of about 4 hours in people with normal kidney function.

Side effects

  • Blood: neutropenia, anemia, low platelets. Myelosuppression is one of the main side effects that may limit prolonged use of valganciclovir.
  • Gastrointestinal: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.
  • Central nervous system: fever, headache, insomnia, paresthesia, and peripheral neuropathy.
  • Ocular: retinal detachment

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


New AIDS-related retinitis drug approved - Brief Article
From Drug Store News, 5/21/01

Hoffmann-La Roche received Food and Drug Administration approval for Valcyte (valganciclovir) to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients, a condition which can cause blindness. Valcyte is the oral form of Roche's 1989 anti-CMV drug Cytovene (ganciclovir), given intravenously. Pharmacies should receive Valcyte this spring. Roche plans for Valcyte to "replace and rebuild" Cytovene. Valcyte may cause a number of side effects, including anemia, diarrhea and vomiting.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Lebhar-Friedman, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group

Return to Valcyte
Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay