Ritonavir and Lopinavir in Treating Patients With Progressive or Recurrent High-Grade Glioma

RATIONALE: Ritonavir and lopinavir may stop the growth of gliomas by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving ritonavir together with lopinavir works in treating patients with progressive or recurrent high-grade glioma.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the 6-month progression-free survival in patients with recurrent or progressive high grade gliomas treated with ritonavir and lopinavir. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the toxicity of ritonavir and lopinavir in this patient population. OUTLINE: Patients receive oral ritonavir and lopinavir twice daily in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study therapy, patients are followed periodically.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically proven high grade glioma (WHO grade 3-4) which is progressive or recurrent following radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy
* Patients with previous low grade glioma who progressed after radiotherapy and chemotherapy and are biopsied and found to have a high grade glioma are eligible
* Patients must have recovered from toxicity of prior therapy - An interval of \>= 3 months must have elapsed since the completion of the most recent course of radiation therapy
* Minimum interval since last drug therapy: 2 weeks since last non-cytotoxic therapy; 3 weeks must have elapsed since the completion of a non-nitrosourea containing chemotherapy regimen; 6 weeks since the completion of a nitrosourea containing chemotherapy regimen
* Patients must have a Karnofsky performance status \>= 60% (i.e., must be able to care for himself/herself with the occasional help of others)
* Patients must have normal hematologic, renal, and liver function (i.e., absolute neutrophil count \>= 1500/mm\^3, platelets \>= 100,000/mm\^3, HgB \> 9 d/dl, creatinine =\< 1.5mg/dl, total bilirubin =\< 1.5mg/dl, transaminases =\< 2.5 times the upper limits of the institutional norm)
* Patients must be able to provide written informed consent
* Patients with the potential for pregnancy or impregnating their partner must agree to follow acceptable birth control methods to avoid contraception - Female patients of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test
* Patients must have no concurrent malignancy except curatively treated basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of carcinoma in situ of the cervix and breast, adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is in complete remission
* Patients with other prior malignancies must be disease-free for \>= 3 years
* Patients must be maintained on a stable corticosteroid regimen from the time of their baseline scan until the start of treatment
* Patients must have a Mini mental state exam score \>= 15

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with serious concurrent infection or medical illness, which would jeopardize the ability of the patient to receive the treatment outlines in this protocol with reasonable safety
* Patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding
* Patients receiving concurrent therapy for their tumor (with the exception of steroids)
* HIV positive
* Prior therapy with HIV protease inhibitors
* Concurrent therapy with hepatic enzyme inducing anticonvulsant
* Inability to be followed closely at the Cleveland Clinic
* Patients requiring the use of medication well-known contraindicated for concomitant use with lopinavir/ritonavir: amiodarone, astemizole, bepridil, bupropione, cisapride, clorazepate, clozapim, diazepam, encainide, flecainide, flurazepam, meperidine, midazolam, primozide, piroxicam, propafenone, propoxifeno, quinidine, rifabutin, terfenadine, triazolam, zolpidem, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine