Clinical trial NCT00006412: Safety and Effectiveness of Fenofibrate and Pravastatin in HIV-Positive Patients With Abnormal Blood Lipids
Official title: A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Trial Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Fenofibrate Versus Pravastatin in HIV-Infected Subjects With Lipid Abnormalities
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: HIV Infections
Lipodystrophy
Keywords: Hyperlipidemia
Procetofen
Pravastatin
Antilipemic Agents
Lead sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 2001-08-31
Enrollment: 630
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to compare the safety and effectiveness of fenofibrate and pravastatin in treating HIV-positive patients who have abnormal levels of fat (lipids) in the blood.

Increased lipids in the blood associated with HIV infection and anti-HIV drugs is a growing problem. The drugs used in this study are known to reduce certain lipids, but little is known about their safety and effectiveness. This study will see if one of the drugs is safer and more effective than the other, or if combining the drugs is the safest and most effective way to lower lipids. This study has been changed. On June 26, 2001, this study was reviewed by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). The DSMB is an independent board monitoring the progress of the study. The review showed that neither pravastatin nor fenofibrate alone were effective in reaching all the cholesterol and triglyceride goals. There were no safety concerns. It is not known if the combination of fenofibrate and pravastatin is effective and safe. Therefore, it is important to continue this study.

Detailed description: Lipid disorders associated with HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy are of growing concern. There is little information available on the safety and efficacy of statins or fibrates in the treatment of HIV-associated hyperlipidemias. Fenofibrate and pravastatin both are able to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides (TG), but it is unclear whether one therapy will be more effective than the other, or if combination therapy will be needed to achieve desirable reductions in both LDL and TG. \[AS PER AMENDMENT 12/13/01: The NIAID HIV Therapeutic Trials Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) met June 26, 2001 to review the interim results. The interim monitoring plan for this study states that accrual into either single-agent therapy arm should stop if the response rate failed to meet a pre-specified minimum at the time of interim review. The DSMB found that this stopping criterion was met for each single-therapy arm. The DSMB recommended that patients currently on single-agent therapy be offered the opportunity to initiate dual-agent therapy, regardless of time on study. There were no safety concerns.\]

Patients are randomized to either Arm A or Arm B and stratified by gender, TG level, and number of cardiovascular risk factors. Patients add daily fenofibrate (Arm A) or pravastatin (Arm B) to their antiretroviral therapy for 48 weeks. Evaluations at Week 12 determine LDL, TG, and high-density lipid (HDL) levels. Patients who achieve clinical goals for these levels stay on the drug for the rest of the study. Patients who do not achieve the goals by Week 12 receive a combination of pravastatin and fenofibrate for the rest of the study. At regular clinic visits, patients have physical exams and are questioned about their medications, diet, and exercise. Blood samples are drawn for clinical evaluations, including lipid profiles and HIV-1 RNA monitoring. \[AS PER AMENDMENT 12/13/01: On June 26, 2001, the DSMB reviewed interim results and determined that the response rates for both arms met the stopping rule for futility. As a result, all patients who were currently on single-agent therapy were offered the opportunity to initiate dual-agent therapy regardless of time on study. No additional accrual was sought; however, exceptions were made for patients who were in screening at the time of the DSMB review. These patients were given the option of starting single- or dual-agent therapy. The DSMB recommended that all patients on dual-agent therapy be followed for 32 weeks to obtain additional safety and efficacy data. Further endpoints will be analyzed after Week 12 of single-agent therapy or Week 32 of dual-agent therapy.\]

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria

Patients may be eligible for this study if they:

* Are HIV-positive.
* Are at least 18 years old.
* Are on a lipid-lowering diet based on the patient's statement and have been exercising for at least 30 days before being screened for the study. Patients will be asked if they were counseled by their health care provider. The lipid-lowering diet and exercise program do not have to be prescribed by a physician.
* Have a triglyceride (TG) level of at least 200 mg/dl and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level of at least 130 mg/dl after fasting for 8 to 12 hours.
* Have been treated with anti-HIV drugs for more than 6 months. Patients must be taking the anti-HIV drugs regularly for at least 4 weeks before they enter the study. Patients must be taking anti-HIV drugs regularly for at least 8 weeks if they have changed from taking protease inhibitor (PI) anti-HIV drugs to non-PI anti-HIV drugs. Any combination without a PI must lower the patient's HIV viral levels, as determined by the patient's physician.
* Are willing, if able to become pregnant, to use 2 reliable types of birth control while taking the study drug(s) and for 1 month after stopping the drug(s).
* Have a negative pregnancy test.
* (This reflects a change in inclusion requirements.)

Exclusion Criteria

Patients will not be eligible for the study if they:

* Have a history of heart disease.
* Have uncontrolled high blood pressure within 4 weeks of study entry.
* Have liver disease.
* Have gall bladder disease or symptoms within 3 months prior to study entry or symptoms of gallstones.
* Had surgery to remove their gallbladder within 3 months prior to study entry.
* Have diabetes requiring drug treatment or diabetes not controlled by diet.
* Have hypothyroidism (low thyroid activity).
* Are allergic or sensitive to the study drug(s) or to other lipid-lowering drugs.
* Have rhabdomyolysis (a muscle disease).
* Have taken any prescription or non-prescription lipid-lowering drug within 14 days prior to study entry or for over 24 weeks in the past.
* Take prescription lipid-lowering agents, other than those given by the study, and non-prescription lipid-lowering agents such as garlic supplements.
* Have failed previous statin or fibrate therapy (after 24 weeks of treatment) or have had side effects from these drugs.
* Receive or have received (within 14 days of study entry) treatment not approved by the FDA. Anti-HIV medications and immune-based treatments not approved by the FDA may be allowed on a case-by-case basis with the approval of the protocol team.
* Were given systemic chemotherapy for cancer other than Kaposi's sarcoma (KS).
* Were given radiation therapy within 30 days of study entry.
* Take drugs that increase risk of muscle disease (such as cyclosporine, erythromycin, itraconazole, and ketoconazole), within 14 days of study entry.
* Take or have taken levothyroxine and liothyronine for hypothyroidism.
* Take high doses of testosterone.
* Take creatine monophosphate or drugs that affect the immune system, within 30 days of study entry.
* Abuse drugs or alcohol, and the doctor thinks this may interfere with the study.
* Are pregnant or breast-feeding.
* Had a scheduled anti-HIV treatment withdrawal prior to study entry.
* (This reflects a change in exclusion requirements.)

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Birmingham
country: United States
facility: Univ of Alabama at Birmingham
state: Alabama
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: Univ of Southern California / LA County USC Med Ctr
state: California
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: UCLA CARE Ctr
state: California
city: Menlo Park
country: United States
facility: Willow Clinic
state: California
city: San Diego
country: United States
facility: Univ of California, San Diego
state: California
city: San Francisco
country: United States
facility: University of California San Francisco
state: California
city: San Francisco
country: United States
facility: Univ of California San Francisco
state: California
city: Stanford
country: United States
facility: San Mateo AIDS Program / Stanford Univ
state: California
city: Stanford
country: United States
facility: Stanford Univ Med Ctr
state: California
city: Torrance
country: United States
facility: Harbor UCLA Med Ctr
state: California
city: Denver
country: United States
facility: Denver Dept of Health and Hosps
state: Colorado
city: Denver
country: United States
facility: Univ of Colorado Health Sciences Ctr
state: Colorado
city: Miami
country: United States
facility: Univ of Miami School of Medicine
state: Florida
city: Atlanta
country: United States
facility: Emory Univ
state: Georgia
city: Honolulu
country: United States
facility: Univ of Hawaii
state: Hawaii
city: Tripler AMC
country: United States
facility: Tripler Army Med Ctr
state: Hawaii
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Northwestern Univ Med School
state: Illinois
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: The CORE Ctr
state: Illinois
city: Indianapolis
country: United States
facility: Indiana Univ Hosp
state: Indiana
city: Indianapolis
country: United States
facility: Methodist Hosp of Indiana / Life Care Clinic
state: Indiana
city: Indianapolis
country: United States
facility: Wishard Hosp
state: Indiana
city: Baltimore
country: United States
facility: Johns Hopkins Hosp
state: Maryland
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Harvard (Massachusetts Gen Hosp)
state: Massachusetts
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Boston Med Ctr
state: Massachusetts
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Beth Israel Deaconess - West Campus
state: Massachusetts
city: Boston
country: United States
facility: Brigham and Women's Hosp
state: Massachusetts
city: Minneapolis
country: United States
facility: Univ of Minnesota
state: Minnesota
city: Omaha
country: United States
facility: Univ of Nebraska Med Ctr
state: Nebraska
city: Buffalo
country: United States
facility: SUNY / Erie County Med Ctr at Buffalo
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Beth Israel Med Ctr
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Cornell Clinical Trials Unit - Chelsea Clinic
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Bellevue Hosp / New York Univ Med Ctr
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Cornell Univ Med Ctr
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Mount Sinai Med Ctr
state: New York
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Columbia Presbyterian Med Ctr
state: New York
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: Community Health Network Inc
state: New York
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: St Mary's Hosp (Univ of Rochester/Infectious Diseases)
state: New York
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: Univ of Rochester Medical Center
state: New York
city: Chapel Hill
country: United States
facility: Univ of North Carolina
state: North Carolina
city: Charlotte
country: United States
facility: Carolinas Med Ctr
state: North Carolina
city: Durham
country: United States
facility: Duke Univ Med Ctr
state: North Carolina
city: Greensboro
country: United States
facility: Moses H Cone Memorial Hosp
state: North Carolina
city: Cincinnati
country: United States
facility: Univ of Cincinnati
state: Ohio
city: Cleveland
country: United States
facility: Case Western Reserve Univ
state: Ohio
city: Cleveland
country: United States
facility: MetroHealth Med Ctr
state: Ohio
city: Columbus
country: United States
facility: Ohio State Univ Hosp Clinic
state: Ohio
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: Philadelphia Veterans Administration Med Ctr
state: Pennsylvania
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: Univ of Pennsylvania
state: Pennsylvania
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: Univ of Pittsburgh
state: Pennsylvania
city: Providence
country: United States
facility: Rhode Island Hosp / Brown Univ
state: Rhode Island
city: Providence
country: United States
facility: Brown Univ / Miriam Hosp
state: Rhode Island
city: Providence
country: United States
facility: Miriam Hosp / Brown Univ
state: Rhode Island
city: West Columbia
country: United States
facility: Julio Arroyo
state: South Carolina
city: Nashville
country: United States
facility: Vanderbilt Univ Med Ctr
state: Tennessee
city: Dallas
country: United States
facility: Univ of Texas, Southwestern Med Ctr of Dallas
state: Texas
city: Galveston
country: United States
facility: Univ of Texas Galveston
state: Texas
city: Seattle
country: United States
facility: Univ of Washington
state: Washington
city: San Juan
country: Puerto Rico
facility: Univ of Puerto Rico
Study officials:
name: Judith Aberg
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References:
citation: Aberg JA, Zackin RA, Brobst SW, Evans SR, Alston BL, Henry WK, Glesby MJ, Torriani FJ, Yang Y, Owens SI, Fichtenbaum CJ; ACTG 5087 Study Team. A randomized trial of the efficacy and safety of fenofibrate versus pravastatin in HIV-infected subjects with lipid abnormalities: AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 5087. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2005 Sep;21(9):757-67. doi: 10.1089/aid.2005.21.757.
citation: Evans SR, Fichtenbaum CJ, Aberg JA; A5087 Study Team. Comparison of direct and indirect measurement of LDL-C in HIV-infected individuals: ACTG 5087. HIV Clin Trials. 2007 Jan-Feb;8(1):45-52. doi: 10.1310/hct0801-45.
citation: Fichtenbaum CJ, Yeh TM, Evans SR, Aberg JA. Treatment with pravastatin and fenofibrate improves atherogenic lipid profiles but not inflammatory markers in ACTG 5087. J Clin Lipidol. 2010 Jul-Aug;4(4):279-87. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2010.04.003.