An Open, Prospective, Multicenter Study of Trimetrexate With Leucovorin Rescue for AIDS Patients With Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia (PCP) and Serious Intolerance to Approved Therapies
- Conditions
- HIV InfectionsPneumonia, Pneumocystis Carinii
- Registration Number
- NCT00000714
- Brief Summary
To determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug therapy (trimetrexate plus leucovorin calcium (TMTX / LCV)) in the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients who have AIDS, are HIV positive, or are at high risk for HIV infection, and who have suffered severe or life-threatening ill effects from both conventional therapies for PCP. AMENDED: 08/01/90 As of August 31, 1989, 437 patients were enrolled into uncontrolled studies of trimetrexate for PCP:214 in TX 301/ACTG 0=039 (trimetrexate for patients intolerant of approved therapies) and 223 in NS 401 (trimetrexate for patients refractory to approved therapies). The analysis of overall response rate, stringently defined as having received at least 14 days of trimetrexate and being alive at follow-up 1 month after the completion of therapy, reveals 84/159 intolerant patients and 48/160 refractory patients had responded, for rates of 53 percent and 30 percent, respectively. These response rates include all individuals who received at least one dose of trimetrexate. Of the 111 patients who were ventilator-dependent at study entry, 18 completed a course of therapy and were alive a month later, for a response rate of 16 percent. All other ventilated patients died. The most common severe (grades 3 and 4) toxicities were: transaminase elevation (\> 5 x normal) in 94 patients, anemia (\< 7.9 g/dl) in 109, neutropenia (\< 750 cells/mm3) in 58, fever (\> 40 C) in 37, and thrombocytopenia (\< 50000 platelets/mm3) in 27. Toxicity required discontinuation of therapy in approximately 5 percent of all patients.
Original design: The drugs usually used to treat PCP in AIDS patients, trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole and pentamidine, have had to be discontinued in many patients because of severe side effects. Currently there are no proven alternatives to these drugs. TMTX was chosen for this trial because it was found to be very active against the PCP organism in laboratory tests. Also TMTX, in combination with LCV, had a high response rate and did not cause severe toxicity in a preliminary trial.
- Detailed Description
AMENDED: 08/01/90 As of August 31, 1989, 437 patients were enrolled into uncontrolled studies of trimetrexate for PCP:214 in TX 301/ACTG 0=039 (trimetrexate for patients intolerant of approved therapies) and 223 in NS 401 (trimetrexate for patients refractory to approved therapies). The analysis of overall response rate, stringently defined as having received at least 14 days of trimetrexate and being alive at follow-up 1 month after the completion of therapy, reveals 84/159 intolerant patients and 48/160 refractory patients had responded, for rates of 53 percent and 30 percent, respectively. These response rates include all individuals who received at least one dose of trimetrexate. Of the 111 patients who were ventilator-dependent at study entry, 18 completed a course of therapy and were alive a month later, for a response rate of 16 percent. All other ventilated patients died. The most common severe (grades 3 and 4) toxicities were: transaminase elevation (\> 5 x normal) in 94 patients, anemia (\< 7.9 g/dl) in 109, neutropenia (\< 750 cells/mm3) in 58, fever (\> 40 C) in 37, and thrombocytopenia (\< 50000 platelets/mm3) in 27. Toxicity required discontinuation of therapy in approximately 5 percent of all patients.
Original design: The drugs usually used to treat PCP in AIDS patients, trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole and pentamidine, have had to be discontinued in many patients because of severe side effects. Currently there are no proven alternatives to these drugs. TMTX was chosen for this trial because it was found to be very active against the PCP organism in laboratory tests. Also TMTX, in combination with LCV, had a high response rate and did not cause severe toxicity in a preliminary trial.
Patients entered in the study are given TMTX for 21 days and LCV for 24 days. Doses are determined by body size. Both drugs are given by intravenous infusion, but LCV may be given orally after the first 10 days. It is essential to ensure that patients receive each and every dose of LCV and that LCV therapy is continued for a full 3 days after TMTX therapy has been completed or discontinued. Doses are adjusted if side effects, such as low white blood cell counts, are too severe. During the 21-day trial, zidovudine (AZT) may not be used, because of possible increased bone marrow toxicity. AZT may be resumed as soon as the administration of TMTX and LCV has been completed.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- Not specified
Not provided
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (21)
Bellevue Hosp / New York Univ Med Ctr
🇺🇸New York, New York, United States
Montefiore Med Ctr / Bronx Municipal Hosp
🇺🇸Bronx, New York, United States
City Hosp Ctr at Elmhurst / Mount Sinai Hosp
🇺🇸Elmhurst, New York, United States
Bronx Municipal Hosp Ctr/Jacobi Med Ctr
🇺🇸Bronx, New York, United States
Warner-Lambert Parke-Davis
🇺🇸Morris Plains, New Jersey, United States
Beth Israel Med Ctr
🇺🇸New York, New York, United States
Univ of Massachusetts Med Ctr
🇺🇸Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Case Western Reserve Univ
🇺🇸Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Johns Hopkins Hosp
🇺🇸Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Beth Israel Deaconess - West Campus
🇺🇸Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Univ of Miami School of Medicine
🇺🇸Miami, Florida, United States
Indiana Univ Hosp
🇺🇸Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Univ of Washington
🇺🇸Seattle, Washington, United States
SUNY - Stony Brook
🇺🇸Stony Brook, New York, United States
Mount Sinai Med Ctr
🇺🇸New York, New York, United States
Northwestern Univ Med School
🇺🇸Chicago, Illinois, United States
Tulane Univ School of Medicine
🇺🇸New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Julio Arroyo
🇺🇸West Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Univ of Rochester Medical Center
🇺🇸Rochester, New York, United States
SUNY / Erie County Med Ctr at Buffalo
🇺🇸Buffalo, New York, United States
Duke Univ Med Ctr
🇺🇸Durham, North Carolina, United States