Drug Database: Cidofovir (Injection)

What is cidofovir?

Cidofovir is an antiviral prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMV retinitis) in individuals with AIDS.

CMV retinitis can be an opportunistic infection (OI) of HIV. An OI is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as people with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems. To learn more about OIs, read the HIVinfo What is an Opportunistic Infection? fact sheet.

How is cidofovir used in people with HIV?

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and/or the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV include recommendations on the use of cidofovir to:

Treat:

• CMV retinitis
• Acyclovir-resistant mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection
• Mpox disease
• Acyclovir-resistant varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection

Prevent:

• CMV retinitis from recurring

The recommended uses may not always be consistent with FDA-approved uses of cidofovir. See the Adult and Pediatric Opportunistic Infection Guidelines for complete information on recommended uses of cidofovir in adults and children with HIV. Cidofovir may have other recommended uses not listed above.

What should I tell my health care provider before using cidofovir?

Before using cidofovir, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to cidofovir, probenecid, sulfonamides (sulfa medicines), or any other medicines. 
• About any medical conditions you have or have had, including kidney problems, neutropenia, and diabetes.
• About any health conditions that may prevent you from receiving medicine by injection or infusion.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Cidofovir should not be used during pregnancy. Talk to your health care provider about the risks of using cidofovir during pregnancy.
• If you are breast/chestfeeding or plan to breast/chestfeed. For people with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. People with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Cidofovir may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how cidofovir works. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between cidofovir and the other medicines you take.

Ask your health care provider about possible side effects from cidofovir. Your health care provider will tell you what to do if you have side effects.

How should I use cidofovir?

Use cidofovir according to your health care provider’s instructions. Your health care provider will tell you how much cidofovir to use and when to use it. Before you start cidofovir and each time you get a refill, read any printed information that comes with your medicine.

How should cidofovir be stored?

• After cidofovir injection solution has been diluted in 0.9% (normal) saline, the diluted solution for intravenous infusion can be stored in a refrigerator, between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C), for up to 24 hours. Allow the diluted solution for intravenous infusion to come to room temperature before use.
• Throw away cidofovir that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine.
• Keep cidofovir and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about cidofovir?

• Recommendations on the HIV-related uses of cidofovir, from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children with and Exposed to HIV.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Injection (solution).
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for cidofovir injection available from MedlinePlus.
• Cidofovir-related research studies, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests.)