Oral valganciclovir and ganciclovir

Q: Valganciclovir gets converted to ganciclovir in? - select one

A) Intestinal wall

B) Kidney

C) Vessel (endothelium)

D) Stomach (Gastric acid)

Answer: A

Valganciclovir is an L-valyl ester of ganciclovir. It is taken orally, represents a major advance in the treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, and is widely favored over ganciclovir. It's absolute bioavailability as ganciclovir from valganciclovir tablets, when taken with food, is about 60 percent.

After oral administration, it is rapidly hydrolyzed to ganciclovir in the intestinal wall and liver.

#pharmacology

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References:

1. Cvetković RS, Wellington K. Valganciclovir: a review of its use in the management of CMV infection and disease in immunocompromised patients. Drugs 2005; 65:859.

2. Curran M, Noble S. Valganciclovir. Drugs. 2001;61(8):1145-50 ; discussion 1151-2. doi: 10.2165/00003495-200161080-00013. PMID: 11465875.

3. Suganuma E, Sakata H, Adachi N, Asanuma S, Furuichi M, Uejima Y, Sato S, Abe T, Matsumoto D, Takahashi R, Yamamoto S, Kawano Y, Arai T, Oh-Ishi T. Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of oral valganciclovir in patients with congenital cytomegalovirus infection. J Infect Chemother. 2021 Feb;27(2):185-191. doi: 10.1016/j.jiac.2020.08.019. Epub 2020 Sep 6. PMID: 32907793.