Document 0638
 DOCN  M9590638
 TI    Valacyclovir study stopped -- worse survival. Clearinghouse, P.O. Box
       6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023.
 DT    9509
 AU    James JS
 SO    AIDS Treat News. 1995 Feb 17;(no 217):7-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       AIDS/95700329
 AB    A study (ACTG 204) involving the effect of valacyclovir in preventing
       CMV disease in persons with advanced HIV infection (CD4 count under 100)
       was stopped because there were more deaths in the valacyclovir arm than
       in either (high dose/low dose) acyclovir arms of the study. There is no
       obvious explanation. It is believed the high doses of valacyclovir used
       were too high for this patient population; this may have led to side
       effects and resulting breaks in treatment that could have adversely
       affected survival. A greater survival effect may have been seen with
       acyclovir due to greater time on treatment, or greater consistency of
       treatment. However, two studies presented at the Human Retroviruses
       conference in Washington, D.C. failed to find a survival benefit of
       acyclovir. Further investigation into ACTG 204's design and findings are
       underway.
 DE    AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/MORTALITY/*PREVENTION &  CONTROL
       Acyclovir/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE/*THERAPEUTIC USE  CD4 Lymphocyte Count
       Cytomegalovirus Infections/MORTALITY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL
       Dose-Response Relationship, Drug  Ethics, Medical  Human  Placebos
       Survival Analysis  Valine/ANALOGS & DERIVATIVES/ADMINISTRATION &
       DOSAGE/*THERAPEUTIC  USE  NEWSLETTER ARTICLE  RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED
       TRIAL

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       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).