A Randomized, Unblinded Trial of Zidovudine Versus ddC in the Treatment of Patients Status Post PCP Who Received Long-Term Zidovudine Therapy in Protocol ACTG 002

To evaluate the efficacy of AZT versus ddC in terms of survival, antiviral effects, neurological status, and health status in patients post Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) who received long-term AZT therapy in ACTG protocol 002 While treatment with AZT has been found to be effective in prolonging survival and reducing the numbers of opportunistic infections in patients with AIDS, during the second year of administration of AZT an acceleration in mortality has been observed. The reasons for this are not known at this time. The study of what may be an AZT-resistant strain of HIV may benefit patients who have been and are still receiving AZT or another drug used in treating HIV ddC. It is hoped that the comparison of the effectiveness of AZT and ddC will benefit in the treatment of these patients.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

While treatment with AZT has been found to be effective in prolonging survival and reducing the numbers of opportunistic infections in patients with AIDS, during the second year of administration of AZT an acceleration in mortality has been observed. The reasons for this are not known at this time. The study of what may be an AZT-resistant strain of HIV may benefit patients who have been and are still receiving AZT or another drug used in treating HIV ddC. It is hoped that the comparison of the effectiveness of AZT and ddC will benefit in the treatment of these patients.

Following tests to evaluate their health, patients are chosen at random to receive either AZT or ddC. AZT is given by mouth at the patients' current dose. ddC is given by mouth every 8 hours. Treatment continues for up to 12 months. Patients are required to visit the clinic every 2 weeks up to week 12 and then once a month. Blood samples are taken to monitor the safety and effectiveness of treatment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment

120

Phase

  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • California
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90033
        • USC CRS
      • San Diego, California, United States, 92103
        • Ucsd, Avrc Crs
    • Florida
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33136
        • Univ. of Miami AIDS CRS
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Johns Hopkins Adult AIDS CRS
    • Pennsylvania
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
        • Pitt CRS

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

8 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria

Required:

  • Prior zidovudine (AZT) therapy for 9 months.

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

  • Chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) with aerosolized pentamidine of 300 mg every 4 weeks through the Respirgard II nebulizer.
  • Maintenance treatment with pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, amphotericin, fluconazole, ketoconazole, acyclovir, or inhaled pentamidine for subjects who have recovered from toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, candidiasis, herpes infection, or PCP.
  • Dapsone for PCP.
  • Pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine for toxoplasmosis.
  • Ganciclovir (DHPG) for maintenance only for cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.
  • Note: Any approved medications can be used to treat an opportunistic infection. All concurrent medications should be kept to a minimum and recorded.

Patients must be positive for HIV by ELISA test and must have been receiving zidovudine (AZT) therapy for at least 9 months and have received AZT within 90 days prior to entry into the study.

Patients may be transfusion dependent as long as no more than 3 units of blood are needed in a 21-day period and the hemoglobin does not fall below 6.4 g/dl on two consecutive occasions despite the transfusions.

Exclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

  • Antiretroviral study medications other than zidovudine (AZT) and biologic response modifiers.
  • Corticosteroids and chronic aspirin.
  • Cimetidine.
  • Flurazepam.
  • Indomethacin.
  • Ranitidine.
  • Probenecid.
  • Other experimental medications.

Patients will be excluded from the study for the following reasons:

  • Removal from zidovudine (AZT) during treatment on ACTG protocol 002 for recurrent grade 4 toxicity.
  • Removal from prior dideoxycytidine (ddC) therapy for peripheral neuropathy = or > grade 3.
  • Visceral or extensive Kaposi's sarcoma requiring therapy or another malignancy requiring therapy.
  • Toxicity grades according to NIAID Recommendations for Grading Acute and Subacute Toxic Effects (Adults).

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

  • Antiretroviral study medications other than zidovudine (AZT) and biologic response modifiers.
  • Patients may not have visceral or extensive Kaposi's sarcoma requiring therapy or another malignancy requiring therapy.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Richman D
  • Study Chair: Fischl M
  • Study Chair: Murray H

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Completion (Actual)

September 1, 1992

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 2, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 30, 2001

First Posted (Estimate)

August 31, 2001

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 3, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 26, 2021

Last Verified

October 1, 2021

More Information

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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