Letermovir Effective in Preventing CMV Infection in HSCT Recipients

Letermovir, now available for preventing cytomegalovirus infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, has a possible mortality benefit.

Two strategies are used to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease after transplantation. The preemptive strategy requires weekly monitoring of quantitative CMV viral loads and treatment after viremia develops but before CMV disease develops. In the alternative strategy of universal prophylaxis, all at-risk patients are treated. Whereas universal prophylaxis is commonly used in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, the hematologic toxicity of valganciclovir severely limits the use of this strategy in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients.

The current manufacturer-sponsored study compared preemptive therapy to universal prophylaxis with the novel anti-CMV drug letermovir in HSCT recipients starting a median of 9 days posttrans…

Reviewing Author

Daniel Kaul, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNobelpharma; Pfizer

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Transplantation (Program Committee)

Daniel Kaul, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNobelpharma; Pfizer

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Transplantation (Program Committee)

Letermovir Effective in Preventing CMV Infection in HSCT Recipients

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Reviewing Author