Acyclovir

Acyclovir Dosing Practices Across a Multicenter Cohort of Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal • June 2024

Foote HP, Thomassy H, Baquero L, Cayli M, Jacobs E, Paladugu A, Roy A, Heyward E, Clark RH, Hornik CP, Benjamin DK, Benjamin DK Jr, Greenberg RG

Acyclovir is the first-line therapy for neonatal herpes simplex virus infections. Therapy can mitigate morbidity and mortality but carries a risk for toxicity. This study aimed to compare acyclovir dosing in neonatal intensive care units to published recommendations based on population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) analysis.

Exposure-safety relationship for acyclovir in the treatment of neonatal herpes simplex virus disease

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

Early Human Development • July 2022

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Ericson J, Benjamin DK Jr., Boakye-Agyeman F, Balevic SJ, Cotten MC, Adler-Shohet F, Laughon M, Poindexter B, Harper B, Payne EH, Kaneshige K, Smith PB; Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act – Pediatric Trials Network
Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) disease has been treated with high-dose (20 mg/kg/dose) acyclovir since 1991. This study aimed to determine the safety of acyclovir in infants with neonatal HSV treated with high-dose acyclovir and examine the association between acyclovir dose and exposure with adverse events (AEs). The odds of experiencing any clinical or laboratory AE did not differ by predicted acyclovir exposure. Although AEs were common with high-dose acyclovir exposure, severe AEs were rare. Acyclovir exposure was not associated with AEs.

Safety of High-dose Acyclovir in Infants With Suspected and Confirmed Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infections

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal • December 2016

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Ericson JE, Gostelow M, Autmizguine J, Hornik CP, Clark RH, Benjamin DK Jr, Smith PB; Pediatric Trials Network Executive Committee and Investigators.

Acyclovir is used to treat herpes simplex virus disease in infants. Treatment with high-dose acyclovir, 60 mg/kg/d, is recommended; however, the safety of this dosage has not been assessed in the past 15 years, and this dosage is not currently approved for infants by the US Food and Drug Administration. We included infants with neonatal herpes simplex virus disease treated with ≥14 days of intravenous acyclovir starting in the first 120 days of life admitted to 1 of 42 neonatal intensive care units managed by the Pediatrix Medical Group between 2002 and 2012.

Population pharmacokinetics of intravenous acyclovir in preterm and term infants

Posted on by Kayla Korzekwinski

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal • December 2013

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Sampson MR, Bloom BT, Lenfestey RW, Harper B, Kashuba AD, Anand R, Benjamin DK Jr, Capparelli E, Cohen-Wolkowiez M, Smith PB; Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act–Pediatric Trials Network.

Acyclovir is used to treat herpes infections in preterm and term infants; however, the influence of maturation on drug disposition and dosing requirements is poorly characterized in this population. We administered intravenous acyclovir to preterm and term infants <31 days postnatal age and collected plasma samples. We performed a population pharmacokinetic analysis.