Effects of Treatment With Aprepitant (Emend®) in HIV Infected Individuals

Summary

The investigators' in vitro data suggest that Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists like aprepitant will decrease the expression of CCR5, an essential co-receptor in the life cycle of HIV, in the surface of macrophages and lymphocytes to levels at least similar to those observed in patients heterozygous for the CCR5 32 mutation. Together with a direct potential antiviral effect this could alter disease progression in patients with HIV infection. The investigators' hypothesis is that aprepitant is safe, tolerable and has antiviral activity in HIV infected individuals. This is randomized, placebo controlled, double blind study to determine the safety and antiviral activity of aprepitant by comparing the change in HIV RNA viral load after 2 weeks of aprepitant monotherapy. 27 HIV infected males and females ≥ 18 years old who have early infection with CD4 cell counts ≥ 350 cells/mm3. Subjects will be randomized 1:1:1 to receive two different doses of aprepitant (Emend®) or placebo.

Timeline

Start

2007-01

Primary completion

2009-12

Completion

2009-12

Publications

• Background Lai JP, Ho WZ, Zhan GX, Yi Y, Collman RG, Douglas SD. Substance P antagonist (CP-96,345) inhibits HIV-1 replication in human mononuclear phagocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Mar 27;98(7):3970-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.071052298.
• Background Lai JP, Ho WZ, Kilpatrick LE, Wang X, Tuluc F, Korchak HM, Douglas SD. Full-length and truncated neurokinin-1 receptor expression and function during monocyte/macrophage differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 May 16;103(20):7771-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0602563103. Epub 2006 May 4.
• Background Ho WZ, Evans DL, Douglas SD. Substance P and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: Psychoneuroimmunology. CNS Spectr. 2002 Dec;7(12):867-874. doi: 10.1017/s1092852900022483.
• Background Ho WZ, Lai JP, Li Y, Douglas SD. HIV enhances substance P expression in human immune cells. FASEB J. 2002 Apr;16(6):616-8. doi: 10.1096/fj.01-0655fje.
• Background Li Y, Douglas SD, Song L, Sun S, Ho WZ. Substance P enhances HIV-1 replication in latently infected human immune cells. J Neuroimmunol. 2001 Dec 3;121(1-2):67-75. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5728(01)00439-8.
• Results Tebas P, Tuluc F, Barrett JS, Wagner W, Kim D, Zhao H, Gonin R, Korelitz J, Douglas SD. A randomized, placebo controlled, double masked phase IB study evaluating the safety and antiviral activity of aprepitant, a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist in HIV-1 infected adults. PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24180. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024180. Epub 2011 Sep 8.
• Results Tebas P, Spitsin S, Barrett JS, Tuluc F, Elci O, Korelitz JJ, Wagner W, Winters A, Kim D, Catalano R, Evans DL, Douglas SD. Reduction of soluble CD163, substance P, programmed death 1 and inflammatory markers: phase 1B trial of aprepitant in HIV-1-infected adults. AIDS. 2015 May 15;29(8):931-9. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000000638.

Drugs

Indications