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CompletedNCT00001015Updated Nov 1, 2021

A Study of Ribavirin in the Treatment of Patients With AIDS and AIDS-Related Problems

A Phase 1 interventional study of Ribavirin in HIV Infections, sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Completed at 5 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-01.

Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) · Phase 1, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
96
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

To determine the maximum long-term dosage of ribavirin (RBV) that is safe and free of serious side effects in patients with AIDS or AIDS related illnesses. Also, to determine what effect different dosage levels have on biologic markers of efficacy, such as the amount of the AIDS virus (HIV) or number of T cells in the patient's blood.

RBV is a new drug capable of inhibiting the growth of the AIDS virus in the laboratory with little effect on normal human cells. In earlier tests of RBV in AIDS patients, the drug was well tolerated and safe, and this favorable result suggested that RBV should be more extensively studied in patients with AIDS and advanced AIDS related complex (ARC).

Read the detailed description

RBV is a new drug capable of inhibiting the growth of the AIDS virus in the laboratory with little effect on normal human cells. In earlier tests of RBV in AIDS patients, the drug was well tolerated and safe, and this favorable result suggested that RBV should be more extensively studied in patients with AIDS and advanced AIDS related complex (ARC).

Patients are selected from three patient groups:

  • Patients with AIDS, who have not taken zidovudine (AZT) within 30 days of entry into the study and who have not been discontinued from AZT because of intolerance.
  • Patients with AIDS related diseases who have not taken AZT within 30 days of entry into the study, and who have not been discontinued from AZT because of intolerance.
  • Patients with AIDS or AIDS related diseases who have had AZT intolerance that required cessation of therapy. This is an outpatient study; patients are seen weekly for the first 4 weeks, every other week through week 12, and then every 4 weeks for the duration of the 24 weeks of the treatment portion of the study. Patients from each of the three diagnostic groups are enrolled at each dose level. For the first 3 days after entry into the study, all patients receive the lowest dose of RBV every 6 hours. Subsequent dosages increase until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is reached. The MTD for a group is defined as the dose at which 4 or more of the 8 patients in the group develop toxicity which requires a change or discontinuation of the dosage.

Patients who experience significant toxicity may continue in the study at lower dose to determine the long-term tolerance.

02

Conditions studied

  • HIV Infections

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Keywords

  • Ribavirin
  • T-Lymphocytes
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
  • AIDS-Related Complex
03

In context

HIV Infections

4,258 studies on the registry are indexed under HIV Infections; 240 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 96 is above the median of 83 across 3,251 interventional studies indexed under HIV Infections.

Browse HIV Infections studies →

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is the lead sponsor of 2,401 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.

Of its 396 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 294 (74%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

  • Short-course therapy (7 days) with oral acyclovir.
  • Short-course therapy (7 days) with ketoconazole.
  • Topical medications.
  • Aerosolized pentamidine for prophylactic purposes.

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

  • Blood transfusions for hemoglobin toxicity.

Patients must have two positive HIV p24 antigen tests with titers = or > 70 picograms at least 72 hours apart and within 1 month prior to entry, the last of which must be within 2 weeks of starting therapy.

Prior Medication:

Allowed:

  • Zidovudine (AZT), without cessation of therapy required due to intolerance.
  • AZT therapy must be discontinued at least 30 days prior to study entry.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following are excluded:

  • Active opportunistic infection, symptomatic visceral Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) or progression of KS within the month prior to entry into the study, neoplasms other than KS, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, or in situ carcinoma of the cervix. Significant diarrhea, defined as = or > 3 liquid stools per day within the past week.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

  • Ongoing systemic therapy and/or prophylaxis for an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection.
  • Antineoplastic therapy.
  • Other experimental medications.
  • Systemic chemoprophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.
  • Chronic (> 7 days) oral acyclovir therapy.

Concurrent Treatment:

Excluded:

  • Blood transfusions unless they are for = or > grade 3 hemoglobin toxicity.

Patients with the following are excluded:

  • Active opportunistic infection, symptomatic visceral Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) or progression of KS within the month prior to entry into the study, neoplasms other than KS, basal cell carcinoma of the skin, or in situ carcinoma of the cervix. Significant diarrhea, defined as = or > 3 liquid stools per day within the past week.

Prior Medication:

Excluded within 30 days of study entry:

  • Antiretroviral agents including zidovudine (AZT).
  • Biologic modifiers.
  • Systemic corticosteroids.

Prior Treatment:

Excluded within 2 months of study entry:

  • Blood transfusion except for those who have taken zidovudine (AZT) who may not have received a transfusion within the previous month.

Active drug or alcohol abuse.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
96 participants

Interventions

  • DrugRibavirin
06

Study locations

5 sites
  • Univ of California / San Diego Treatment Ctr
    San Diego, California 921036325, United States
  • San Francisco AIDS Clinic / San Francisco Gen Hosp
    San Francisco, California 941102859, United States
  • Harvard (Massachusetts Gen Hosp)
    Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
  • Bellevue Hosp / New York Univ Med Ctr
    New York, New York 10016, United States
  • Univ of North Carolina
    Chapel Hill, North Carolina 275997215, United States
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Crumpacker C, Pearlstein G, van der Horst C, Valentine F, Spector S, Mills J. A phase one increasing dose trial of oral ribavirin (RBV) in patients with AIDS and ARC. Int Conf AIDS. 1990 Jun 20-23;6(3):203 (abstract no SB468)
  • Crumpacker C, Cotton D, Pearlstein G, Valentine F, Mills J, Spector S. Ribavirin dose escalating phase 1 trial in patients with AIDS and ARC. Int Conf AIDS. 1989 Jun 4-9;5:336 (abstract no TBP296)
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 1, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00001015
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 31, 2001
Completion
Jun 1990
Last update
Nov 1, 2021

Study contacts

Crumpacker C
study chair
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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