Countywide : Patients Sought for Eye Research

UCI researcher Baruch Kuppermann is seeking patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, an eye infection that can cause blindness, to participate in a clinical study to test the effectiveness of antiviral drug treatments.

Kuppermann, a retina specialist, said this opportunistic eye disease is the leading cause of blindness in people with AIDS. There is no cure, but treatment can stall progress of the disease.

The UCI study is focusing on the most effective way to administer the antiviral drug ganciclovir.

The standard treatment is to administer the drug intravenously, but a recent nationwide study indicates that eye implants can provide a “dramatic benefit” for patients, Kuppermann said.

The implants, about the size of a half-karat diamond, need to be replaced every eight months.

Participants in the study must be at least 18 and have had CMV retinitis in only one eye for less than six months.

Information: (714) 824-6256.