Safety, Effectiveness, and Tolerability of Ezetimibe Combined With Statins for the Treatment of High Cholesterol in HIV Infected Adults

HIV Infections Clinical Trial

Official title: A Pilot Study of the Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of Ezetimibe (Zetia) in Combination With Statin Therapy for the Treatment of Elevated LDL Cholesterol in HIV-Infected Subjects

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Anti-HIV drugs, especially protease inhibitors (PIs), have been linked to lipid metabolism problems, including elevations in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides, and total cholesterol. Ezetimibe is a lipid-controlling drug; statins are part of another class of lipid-lowering drugs popularly prescribed to people with high cholesterol. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, effectiveness, and tolerability of ezetimibe in combination with statin therapy in adults who are taking anti-HIV drugs and have high cholesterol.

Study hypothesis: In HIV infected adults, ezetimibe in combination with statin therapy will result in significantly lower LDL-c compared to statin therapy alone.

Clinical Trial Description

Lipid metabolism abnormalities are common complications of HIV therapy, particularly with PIs. Statins and other lipid-lowering agents are often prescribed to control elevated cholesterol levels in both HIV infected and uninfected people. However, both antiretroviral therapy (ART) and lipid-lowering drugs may be associated with cardiovascular disease, so there is a clear need to find a lipid-lowering drug with low toxicity. This study will evaluate the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of ezetimibe, a lipid-controlling agent, in combination with ongoing statin therapy in HIV infected people currently on ART.

This study will last 28 weeks. All participants will be required to continue their current stable statin therapy and ART for the duration of the study.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two arms. Arm 1 participants will receive ezetimibe daily for 12 weeks, no treatment for 4 weeks, then placebo daily for 12 weeks. Arm 2 participants will receive placebo daily for 12 weeks, no treatment for 4 weeks, and then ezetimibe daily for 12 weeks. There will be 9 study visits; they will occur at study screening, at study entry, and every 4 weeks thereafter. Clinical assessment and blood collection will occur at all visits. Participants will be asked to complete an adherence questionnaire at Weeks 4, 12, 20, and 28, and will also be encouraged to coenroll in ACTG A5128 (Consent for Use of Stored Patient Specimens for Future Testing). ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment, Masking: Double-Blind, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• HIV Infections

• NCT number: NCT00099684
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: November 2005
• Completion date: May 2007