A Study of Zidovudine Plus Acyclovir in HIV-Infected Patients

Summary

To compare the effect of zidovudine (AZT) given alone with the combination of AZT and acyclovir (ACV) on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in persons infected with HIV, and to study the pharmacokinetics (how fast AZT reaches certain levels in blood and how long it remains), safety, and effectiveness of AZT given alone and in combination with ACV in treating HIV-infected patients. Other studies have shown that AZT offers potential benefits to specific AIDS patients when given over long time periods, and experiments in vitro (in the test tube) suggest that ACV may stimulate the action of AZT against HIV. It is necessary to obtain information on how these drugs perform in HIV-infected humans.

Timeline

Start

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Primary completion

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Completion

1990-10

Publications

• Background Collier AC, Bozzette S, Coombs RW, Causey DM, Schoenfeld DA, Spector SA, Pettinelli CB, Davies G, Richman DD, Leedom JM, et al. A pilot study of low-dose zidovudine in human immunodeficiency virus infection. N Engl J Med. 1990 Oct 11;323(15):1015-21. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199010113231502.
• Background ICDB/90665116. Collier A, et al. Virologic and clinical response to combination zidovudine (AZT) and acyclovir (ACV) in AIDS-related complex (ARC). Twenty-ninth Intersci Conf Antimicro Agts and Chemother. 1989 Sep 17-20; 105
• Background Coombs RW, Collier AC, Chaloupka K, Corey L. Decreased HIV plasma titer in response to combined low-dose zidovudine and acyclovir therapy in CDC class IVA patients. Int Conf AIDS. 1990 Jun 20-23;6(1):139 (abstract no ThB24)
• Background Tartaglione TA, Collier AC, Opheim K, Gianola FG, Benedetti J, Corey L. Pharmacokinetic evaluations of low- and high-dose zidovudine plus high-dose acyclovir in patients with symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1991 Nov;35(11):2225-31. doi: 10.1128/AAC.35.11.2225.
• Background Ioannidis JP, Collier AC, Cooper DA, Corey L, Fiddian AP, Gazzard BG, Griffiths PD, Contopoulos-Ioannidis DG, Lau J, Pavia AT, Saag MS, Spruance SL, Youle MS. Clinical efficacy of high-dose acyclovir in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection: a meta-analysis of randomized individual patient data. J Infect Dis. 1998 Aug;178(2):349-59. doi: 10.1086/515621.

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