Official Title: “A Randomized Double Blind Protocol Comparing Amphotericin B With Flucytosine to Amphotericin B Alone Followed by a Comparison of Fluconazole and Itraconazole in the Treatment of Acute Cryptococcal Meningitis”

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of amphotericin B plus flucytosine (5-fluorocytosine) compared to amphotericin B alone for a first episode of acute cryptococcal meningitis in AIDS patients, and to compare the effectiveness and safety of fluconazole versus itraconazole.

At least 10 percent of patients with a low CD4 count and HIV infection will develop meningitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans. More effective treatments than the standard therapy need to be explored.

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Treatment, Double-Blind, Safety Study

At least 10 percent of patients with a low CD4 count and HIV infection will develop meningitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans. More effective treatments than the standard therapy need to be explored.

Patients are selected by a randomization process to take amphotericin B intravenously (in the vein), for 14 days, and either placebo (ineffective substance) or flucytosine for 14 days.

Then patients are again selected by a randomization process to take either (1) fluconazole for a total of 8 weeks plus itraconazole placebo; or (2) itraconazole for a total of 8 weeks plus fluconazole placebo.

Intervention(s) in this Clinical Trial

• Drug: Itraconazole
• Drug: Flucytosine
• Drug: Fluconazole
• Drug: Amphotericin B

Inclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

• Interruption of myelosuppressive therapies and/or administration of erythropoietin, at discretion of investigator, to maintain hemoglobin = or > 7 g/dl.
• Adjunctive corticosteroids may be administered during the triazole phase for patients who develop Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and meet the prescribed criteria.
• Hydrocortisone, not to exceed 50 mg/day, during the amphotericin phase.
• Aerosolized pentamidine or systemic chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia should be given to all patients with a CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3.
• Antiretroviral drugs (including zidovudine (AZT), didanosine (ddI), dideoxycytidine (ddC)) after patient has tolerated oral triazole for one week (after 3 weeks of study treatment).
• Maintenance treatment (except for rifamycins) for other opportunistic infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, cerebral toxoplasmosis or mycobacterial infections, provided that their hematologic and hepatic values are stable and they meet the entry criteria.

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

• Transfusion, at discretion of investigator, to maintain hemoglobin = or > 7 g/dl.

Patients must have:

• HIV infection.
• Primary episode of acute cryptococcal meningitis.
• Willing to participate in the study for a full 10 weeks and either be able to give informed consent or have a family member or guardian able to give informed consent.

Prior Medication:

Allowed:

• Fluconazole prophylaxis, not exceeding 200 mg/day.

Risk Behavior:

Allowed:

• History of high-risk behavior for HIV infection (bisexual or homosexual men, intravenous drug abusers) and their sexual partners.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following conditions or symptoms are excluded:

• Inability to take oral medication (if necessary, flucytosine and flucytosine placebo may be administered via nasogastric tube during the amphotericin phase).
• History of hypersensitivity to imidazole or triazole compounds.
• Active hepatitis (viral, drug-induced, or other) defined by progressive worsening of hepatic enzymes to grade 3 or 4 toxicity on at least two occasions.
• Comatose.
• Concurrent CNS disease which, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with assessment of response.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Continued treatment with H2 blockers (ranitidine (Zantac), cimetidine (Tagamet), omeprazole (Prilosec), nizatidine (Axid), famotidine (Pepcid)).
• Antacids and didanosine (ddI) within 2 hours of triazole administration.
• Rifampin, rifabutin (Ansamycin), and other rifamycin derivatives, phenytoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital, or carbamazepine (Tegretol).
• Other systemic antifungal agents.

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

• Amphotericin, > 1 mg/kg, or fluconazole or ketoconazole, > 1200 mg, as prior treatment for current primary episode of acute cryptococcal meningitis or treatment started for this episode more than 72 hours prior to enrollment into study.
• Phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital, rifabutin (Ansamycin), rifampin or other rifamycins within the last 15 days.

Patients may not have:

• Inability to take oral medication (if necessary, flucytosine and flucytosine placebo may be administered via nasogastric tube during the amphotericin phase).
• History of hypersensitivity to imidazole or triazole compounds.
• Active hepatitis.
• Patients who are comatose.
• Concurrent CNS disease which, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with assessment of response.

Gender Eligibility for this Clinical Trial: Both

Minimum Age for this Clinical Trial: 13 Years

Maximum Age for this Clinical Trial: N/A

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted for this Clinical Trial?: No

Lead Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine

Overall Clinical Trial Officials and Contacts

van der Horst C Study Chair   

Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on August 28, 2008

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00000639

Study ID Number: ACTG 159

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000639

Health Authority: United States: Federal Government

Click here for more information about Fluconazole

Click here for more information about Amphotericin B

Click here for more information about Itraconazole