Heart of THE MATTER

Cytogam® added to antiviral medication significantly reduces serious CMV disease in heart transplant patients1,2

High-risk heart transplant patients (n=27) received Cytogam® therapy for four months after transplant, along with ganciclovir for 28 days. Results were compared to matched historical controls (n=27) who received ganciclovir alone. Compared to treatment with ganciclovir alone, combination therapy including Cytogam® had the following notable results1:

  • Significantly higher disease free rates over 3 years
  • Significantly greater 3-year survival
  • Significantly higher rejection-free rates 3 years post-transplant (P< 0.05)
  • Reduced transplant coronary-artery disease
  • Reduced coronary intimal thickening (overall and > 0.3 mm; P = 0.01)

CMV disease free rates in heart transplant patients
Survival rates in heart transplant patients

Intravascular ultrasound measurements of change in coronary artery between baseline and Year 12

In a separate study, 21 D+R- patients were treated with CMVIG from 72 hours after transplant and periodically over 16 weeks, plus 4 weeks of ganciclovir followed by 2 or more months of valganciclovir. Results were compared to results of 45 R+ patients who received only ganciclovir for 4 weeks. The patients receiving combination therapy had the following results, compared to those receiving ganciclovir alone2:

  • 28% reduction in relative risk for CMV infection
  • Significantly less lumen-volume change (P =0.06) and less vessel shrinkage (P =0.04)
  • Less graft vascular disease


* Note to users of Valcyte® (valganciclovir), the prodrug of ganciclovir: After oral administration, the diasteromers of Valcyte are rapidly converted to ganciclovir by intestinal and hepatic esterases.

Valcyte is a registered trademark of Roche Pharmaceuticals.

Intravascular ultrasound measurements of change in coronary artery between baseline and Year 1


1. Valantine HA, Luikart H, Doyle R, et al. Impact of cytomegalovirus hyperimmune globulin on outcome after cardiothoracic transplantation: a comparative study of combined prophylaxis with CMV hyperimmune globulin plus ganciclovir versus ganciclovir alone. Transplantation. 2001;72:1647-52.

2. Potena L, Holweg CT, Chin C, et al. Acute rejection and cardiac allograft vascular disease is reduced by suppression of subclinical cytomegalovirus infection. Transplantation. 2006;82:398-405.