Study of Intravenous Acyclovir Use in Children with Blood Cancers or Stem Cell Transplants to Prevent or Treat Herpes Virus Infections

What this Trial Is About

Herpesvirus infections can be very serious, especially for children with blood cancers or those who have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant HSCT. These infections carry a high risk of complications and death. Although herpes simplex virus 1 HSV-1 and varicella-zoster virus VZV are common worldwide, antiviral medicines like acyclovir have helped reduce infection rates in children who are at risk. This research studies how acyclovir behaves in the body of children receiving it through an intravenous IV or oral route for preventing or treating herpes virus infections. The study involves children with blood cancers or those undergoing high-intensity chemotherapy, as well as HSCT recipients. It uses therapeutic drug monitoring to analyze acyclovir levels in the blood during routine care. Participants will receive acyclovir either by IV or orally as part of their regular treatment. Researchers will collect blood samples to track acyclovir levels and study how the drug is processed by the body. The main measurement is the percentage of patients who reach a minimum acyclovir blood concentration after six months of treatment. Data from this study aims to help improve acyclovir dosing in children with cancer. The study is expected to continue until March 2026.

Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous Acyclovir in Oncologic Paediatric Patients