Pharmacology and clinical use of foscarnet

Foscarnet, licenced by Astra pharmaceutical products, is a pyrophosphate analogue that selectively inhibits replication of viruses in infected cells. It inhibits in vitro the replication of all herpes viruses, including human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) at concentrations of 100 to 300 mumol/l and has a dose-related inhibitory effect on HIV-1 virus, influenza virus and hepatitis B virus. It does not require intra-cellular phosphorylation for antiviral activity. Oral bioavailability of foscarnet is low (12-22%), and foscarnet must be administered intravenously. It is mainly eliminated unchanged by the kidneys. Mean half-life in plasma ranges from 3.4 to 5 h. For acute therapy, the currently recommended regimen is 60 mg/kg t.i.d. or 90-100 mg/kg b.i.d. In AIDS patients, foscarnet is an effective treatment of HCMV retinitis. Healing or stabilisation of lesions is obtained in 85-95% of patients after 2 weeks or 3 weeks therapy. For HCMV gastrointestinal disease, complete or partial response rates of 57-95% have been reported with foscarnet. The optimal maintenance dosage of foscarnet necessary in CMV infections in AIDS patients remains to be clearly established. Data from small samples size studies have shown that foscarnet decreased significantly circulating levels of HIV antigen in AIDS patients with HCMV disease. Foscarnet is an effective treatment for acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus and for acyclovir-resistant varicella-zoster virus (40 mg/kg every 8 h). In patients with immunosuppression not HIV-related HCMV infections, particularly interstitial pneumonia in transplant recipients, experience with foscarnet is limited. The major adverse effect of foscarnet is reversible renal dysfunction, due to acute tubular toxicity. In may be partially prevented by hyperhydratation during the treatment. Fluctuations in serum calcium and phosphore levels, with both increase and decrease are also frequent adverse reactions. Most clinical symptoms are related to decrease in ionized calcium levels. Hyperphosphatemia, a clinically benign phenomenom, reflects the incorporation of foscarnet in bone. Penile ulcerations have been described and may result from mococutaneous direct toxicity of foscarnet eliminated in urine. Although relapses frequently occur after a few months of maintenance therapy, foscarnet that shows a marked activity against HCMV in vitro, has allowed important progress in therapy of HCMV infections in AIDS patients.