Clinical Trial Review, no. 3

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Preventing MAC
The symptoms of mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) can include weight
loss, fevers, chills, night sweats, swollen glands, abdominal pains, diarrhea
and overall weakness. The infection usually affects the intestines and inner
organs first, causing liver tests to be high, and swelling and inflammation to
occur. Studies have demonstrated that rifabutin (Mycobutin) can prevent the
development of MAC in people with AIDS. Rifabutin is the first approved
prophylaxis for MAC. There are not yet any approved treatments for MAC,
although the new antibiotics clarithromycin (Biaxin) and azithromycin (Zithromax) are being studied for this and other uses. Initial tests suggest that these
drugs may have a major role to play in treating MAC. ACTG 196 will compare
rifabutin and oral clarithromycin as prophylaxis for MAC.
To participate in ACTG 196, you must be HIV+ and have a T4 count of less
than 100. You will receive either oral clarithromycin in a dose of 500 mg BID
(2X a day), or rifabutin in a dose of 450 mg once daily, or a combination of
these two drugs to delay or prevent MAC. Participants will be randomized in
blinded fashion to one of three arms. Blood for MAC culture will be taken at
entry and every 8 weeks thereafter until 24 months after the last patient has
been enrolled. Clinical and lab evaluations will be conducted every four
weeks for the first 8 wks and then every 8 wks to assess toxicity. This study
is expected to open sometime very soon. Contact The Network to get on the
Network Study Card waiting list.

Hypericin
In both laboratory and animal studies, hypericin has shown significant
anti-HIV activity, as well as activity
against othertypes of viruses. ACTG
150 begins with an oral dose of hypericin. Everyone in the study will
then receive infusions3timesaweek.
You must be 18 or older, HIV+, and
be p24 antigen positive.
You cannot be pregnant, have taken
AZT, ddl, or ddC, or any immunomodulators within one month prior to
entry. Additionally, you cannot have
KS for which systemic therapy is
required, or have taken Ribavirin
within three months prior to beginning the trial. There are also other
medications and opportunistic infections which may exclude you from
the trial.

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AIDS Treatment Data NETWORK
La Red de Informaci6n Sobre el SIDA
259 West 30th Street
New York New York 10001
English 212.268.4196 * Fax: [phone] * AppleLink: Tx.Network

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