Inclusion Criteria

Patients must have:

• AIDS.
• Clinical diagnosis of previously untreated peripheral CMV retinitis in one eye.
• Leading edge of a CMV retinitis lesion is at least 750 microns from zone one. NOTE:
• Patients with CMV retinitis in zone three only may be eligible if the lesions can be reliably photographed to follow progression.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following symptoms or conditions in the eye to be treated are excluded:

• External ocular infections.
• Other herpetic infections of the retina, toxoplasma retinochoroiditis, or other disease of the fundus.
• Ocular conditions that will obstruct visualization of the posterior ocular structures.
• Retinal detachment.
• Silicone oil in eye.

Patients with the following other symptoms or conditions are excluded:

• Known or suspected allergy to phosphorothioate oligonucleotides.
• Syphilis.
• Pseudoretinitis pigmentosa.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Current treatment for extra-ocular CMV infection.
• Ganciclovir.
• Foscarnet.
• Mellaril.
• Stelazine.
• Thorazine.
• Clofazimine.
• Ethambutol/fluconazole combination.
• Investigational medications for CMV retinitis.

Concurrent Treatment:

Excluded:

• Investigational procedures for CMV retinitis.

Patients with the following prior conditions are excluded:

• History of surgery to correct retinal detachment in the eye to be treated.
• History of syphilis.

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

• Prior anti-CMV retinitis treatment in either eye.
• Anti-CMV therapy for extra-ocular infection within the past 2 days.