At a glance
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A Phase II Efficacy Study Comparing 2',3'-Dideoxyinosine (ddI) (BMY-40900) and Zidovudine Therapy of Patients With HIV Infection Who Have Been on Long Term Zidovudine Treatment
In Brief
A Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating Zidovudine and Didanosine for HIV Infections. Completed, across 71 sites in 2 countries.
Detailed Summary
To compare the effectiveness and toxicity of didanosine (ddI) and zidovudine (AZT) in patients with AIDS or advanced AIDS-related complex (ARC) who have tolerated AZT therapy for 12 months or longer. Per amendment, asymptomatic patients with CD4 counts less than 200 cells/mm3 are eligible. AZT is effective in reducing mortality in patients with AIDS who receive the drug after the first episode of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and in patients with advanced ARC. However, AZT therapy has been associated with significant toxicities. In addition, the effectiveness of AZT appears to decrease during the second and third years of therapy. For these reasons, the development of alternative therapy that would be at least as effective but less toxic is of great importance. The drug ddI is an antiviral agent that inhibits replication of HIV with less apparent toxicity than AZT. Studies indicate that ddI remains active in the body for at least 12 hours; thus benefits of ddI might be achieved with a low frequency of drug administration.