Ganciclovir Ophthalmic Gel in the Treatment of Herpes Simplex Keratitis

Abstract

Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is the most common form of viral keratitis and is a common cause of ocular morbidity and blindness. HSK is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and occurs in patients with no previous exposure to HSV typically occurring during childhood, or in patients with latent disease bearing dormant virus in the nerve ganglia or the cornea. HSK initially presents as a cluster of small, clear vesicles in the epithelium that accumulates to form dendritic lesions which can progress to geographic ulcers, whilst further progression of infection deeper into the cornea affects the stroma. Ganciclovir (GCV) was developed for the treatment of acute superficial herpetic keratitis as a replacement for earlier, less effective, or less tolerated antiviral therapy. Studies have found topical GCV gel treatment to be safe and well tolerated with more favorable pharmacokinetics than acyclovir. The recent approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the clinical use of 0.15% GCV gel for treatment of HSK will provide patients and physicians with a more tolerable, convenient, and effective treatment.