HIV Infections Clinical Trial
Official title:
Strategic, Long Term, Immunologically Driven Treatment Interruptions in Patients on Effective HAART: A Controlled, Randomized Study
LOTTI study Centers
This a multicenter, multinational study.
Clinical phase: III
Objectives
The primary objective is to compare efficacy and safety of continuing a conventional HAART
in chronically infected HIV patients with a therapeutic strategy based on long term,
immunologically driven treatment interruptions.
Secondary objectives are:
- To verify the risk of developing viral resistance
- To verify the effect of the two strategies on metabolic parameters
- To verify the possibility to steadily discontinue antiretroviral therapy in patients
who started it with baseline immunological values higher than those currently
recommended by international guidelines for HIV treatment
- To identify predictive variables of the possibility to safely discontinue
antiretroviral therapy
- To verify the dynamic of CD4+ cell loss and HIV replication after treatment
interruption
Number of Patients: A total of 320 patients.
Study design:
Controlled, Randomized, Open study The study will last 5 years
Treatment arms:
Patients will be randomized in a ratio 1:1 to one of the two treatment arms Control group
continuing the ongoing therapy STI group performing long term CD4 guided structured
treatment interruptions In the STI arm patients will stay off therapy until their CD4 count
will drop < 350 cells/mcL (one measurement will be considered sufficient). At that time
point patients will resume the HAART regimen they were assuming before STI and will continue
HAART until they CD4 count will raise > 600 cells/mcL (at least 2 consecutive measurements 2
months apart) and their HIV-RNA will drop below the detection limit of 50 copies/ml (one
measurement will be considered sufficient). When both the CD4 count and the viral load will
be within these pre-set values they will stop therapy again. There is no limit to the number
of interruptions and re-start cycles during the study period
End points:
The primary end-point for the evaluation of the main objective of the study will be
clinical. The primary outcome measure will be based on the occurrence of a clinical
end-point defined as: disease progression (occurrence of any AIDS defining event), death for
any cause or the occurrence of clinical events requiring hospital admission
The secondary objectives of the study will be evaluated on the basis of:
- Mean variation of blood cholesterol and triglycerides from baseline values.
- Development of lipodystrophy or modification of a pre-existing lipodystrophy
- Time off therapy.
- Variation of CD4 counts and HIV-RNA levels
- Genotypic tests to be performed in the case of HIV-RNA > 1000 copies/ml while on
therapy for at least 4 months or one month after each treatment interruption.
Statistics:
The study is powered to evaluate equivalence between the two strategies under the assumption
that, in the control arm, the primary end-point would be observed in a proportion of
subjects < 7% and that the same proportion in the STI arm would not exceed 10% with a
maximum allowed 95%CI of 12%. 320 patients will be needed for alfa = 5% and 1-beta = 80%.
The primary analysis will be made according to the intention-to-treat approach and therefore
no correction for eventual drop outs is needed. In addition, a secondary per-protocol
analysis will be performed.
Rationale
As the current regimens cannot eradicate HIV infection, persons living with HIV are doomed
to assume chronic therapies with often very demanding daily schedules. In the long run, this
may lead to reduced adherence to therapy, to incomplete suppression of viral replication and
to the emergence of resistant viruses that can vanish the patients' efforts. Furthermore
with continued exposure to antiretroviral drugs, patients have begun to experience new
adverse effects including body fat redistribution, dislipidemia, diabetes, insulin
resistance, osteopenia and the fear of unexpected complications such as cardiovascular
diseases has raised. A variety of strategies has emerged to try to help the long-term
management of HAART. Researchers have focused their attention on the development of simpler
regimens. An alternative approach involves various types of structured treatment
interruptions (STI). Several different roles have been claimed for STIs. They have been
postulated to enhance specific immune response and allow control of viral replication, in
the absence of continuous HAART, in seroconverters. In advanced treatment failures STIs has
been suggested to favor the overgrowth of wild-type virus in the peripheral circulation and
thus facilitate the "disappearance" of resistance mutations. In chronically infected
patients without virologic failure STIs have been explored to boost HIV specific immune
responses and, more recently, to reduce drug exposure, promote adherence and minimize
drug-related morbidity .
Various strategies with fixed intervals for on and off periods, or with specific thresholds,
either immunologic or virologic, for re-initiation of therapy have been explored.
To date, unanswered questions about STIs or even pulse therapy include the risk of exposing
patients to differential drug levels which may enhance selection of resistant mutants, the
effects of re-seeding of viral reservoirs, the real extent of the assumption that less drug
is associated with less toxicity or better adherence, and the overall outcome compared to
continuous HAART.
Finally STIs and pulse therapy may result strictly linked with questions raised by new
treatment recommendations: what to do with individuals who began therapy at a CD4 + cell
level above the currently recommended threshold, and how to manage those patients who, under
HAART, have gained a CD4 cell count far above this threshold.
We will conduct a controlled, prospective and randomized trial on a cohort of chronically
HIV infected individuals on effective HAART to address most of these open questions. We will
apply an individualized pulse therapy strategy, driven by CD4 + cell count, and will compare
it with conventional continuous HAART.
Study objectives
Primary objective of the study is:
To compare efficacy and safety of continuing a conventional HAART in chronically infected
HIV patients with a therapeutic strategy based on long term, immunologically driven
treatment interruptions.
Secondary objectives are:
- To verify the risk of developing viral resistance
- To verify the effect of the two strategies on metabolic parameters
- To verify the possibility to steadily discontinue antiretroviral therapy in patients
that started it with baseline immunological values higher than those currently
recommended by international guidelines for HIV treatment
- To identify predictive variables of the possibility to safely discontinue
antiretroviral therapy
- To verify the dynamic of CD4 + loss and HIV replication after treatment interruption
As the study wants to enroll patients strictly reflecting the population of HIV infected
individuals, previous mono or dual therapies as well as the presence of co-morbidities such
as HBV and HCV co-infection do not constitute exclusion criteria, but will be recorded.
Study design
This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, open, comparative study. The trial will have
a follow-up of 5 years.
Patients will be monitored according to the international and local guidelines for HIV
infection as far as timing and type of laboratory and clinical controls. Laboratory exams
will be decided locally and only a few key tests are required for the study. The timing of
laboratory evaluation will be 1 and 2 months after each treatment interruption and
thereafter every 2 months in the STI arm and every 4 months in the control group. All data
will be stored in a computerized data-base.
Study arms and management of the study
Patients will be randomized in the ratio 1: 2 to one of the following treatment arms:
1. Continuing their ongoing HAART (control)
2. Long term treatment interruption (STI)
Randomization will be accomplished centrally according to a pre-determined,
computer-generated random list.
In the control group, patients will be allowed to change therapy for virological,
toxicological or personal reasons. All variation will be recorded. Patients changing therapy
will be still included in the ITT analysis, but will be considered failures in the AT
analysis. Patients stopping therapy, for any reason and not resuming it within 3 months will
be considered as failures for both the ITT and AT analysis In the STI arm, patients will
stay off therapy until their CD4 count drop < 350 cells/mcL (one measurement will be
considered sufficient). At that time point patients will resume the HAART regimen they were
assuming before the STI period and will continue HAART until their CD4 count raises > 600
cells/mcL and their plasma HIV-RNA drops below the detection limit of 50 copies/ml (one
measurement will be considered sufficient). When both the CD4 count and the viral load will
be within these pre-set values they will stop therapy again. There is no limit to the number
of interruptions and re-start cycles during the study period 160 patients will be allocated
in the STI arm and 80 patients in the control arm.
End points and evaluation criteria
The primary end-point for the evaluation of the main objective of the study will be
clinical:
The primary outcome measure will be based on the occurrence of a clinical end-point defined
as: disease progression (occurrence of any AIDS defining event), death for any cause or the
occurrence of clinical events requiring hospital admission
The secondary objectives of the study will be evaluated on the basis of:
- Mean variation of blood cholesterol and triglycerides from baseline values. Development
of lipodystrophy or modification of a pre-existing lipodystrophy
- Time off therapy, variation of CD4 counts and HIV-RNA levels
- Genotypic tests to be performed in the case of HIV-RNA > 1000 copies/ml while on
therapy for at least 4 months or one month after each treatment interruption.
Duration of the study
Treatment will be continued for 5 years under the study conditions. Patients completing the
study period and still responding to therapy will be kept on the same regimen.
Statistical evaluation of the study will be performed yearly. A first interim analysis will
be performed when the mean follow-up will reach 3 years.
Monitoring
Laboratory tests during the study period will be performed in he fasting state. The
following tests and procedures are required and will be recorded in the electronic data
base. It is also advised to perform on regular basis haemogram, renal function tests, blood
glucose and amylase. Other test could be performed according to local needs or particular
situations related to the specific management of single patients:
Baseline (all patients)
1) Informed consent and treatment randomization 2) Biochemical analysis: ALT, AST, total
cholesterol and HDL, triglycerides 3) CD4 count, CD8 count 4) Plasma HIV-RNA 5) Clinical
evaluation, anamnestic and demographic data: sex, age, risk factor for HIV infection, CDC
AIDS classification, time on ART, time on current HAART, previous antiretroviral drugs,
previous sub-optimal ARTs, current antiretroviral drugs, presence and grade of
lipodystrophy, time with HIV-RNA below detection, nadir CD4, CD4 at start of antiretroviral
therapy.
1. month after each STI (only STI group) 1) CD4 count, CD8 count
2. months after each STI (only STI group) 1) Biochemical analysis: ALT, AST, cholesterol
(total and HDL), triglycerides 2) CD4 count, CD8 count 3) Plasma HIV-RNA, Genotype 4)
Clinical evaluation: disease progression, lipodystrophy assessment
Every 2 months thereafter (STI group) or every 4 months from baseline (control group)
1. Biochemical analysis: ALT, AST, cholesterol (total and HDL), triglycerides
2. CD4 count, CD8 count
3. Plasma HIV-RNA
4. Clinical evaluation: disease progression, lipodystrophy assessment
Additional tests
Additional tests will be requested in specific cases:
1. a second genotype after 4 months from the initiation of the STI period will be
performed in all patients showing a major mutation in the genotype performed 2 months
after STI start
2. a genotype will be performed in all patients either in the STI or in the control group
showing a viral load above 1000 copies/ml after a continuous treatment period (on
drugs) > 4 months.
Statistical considerations
The study is powered to evaluate equivalence between the two strategies under the assumption
that, in the control arm, the primary end-point would be observed in a proportion of
subjects < 7% and that the same proportion in the STI arm would not exceed 10% with a
maximum allowed 95%CI of 12%. According to the model published in Controlled Clinical Trials
1982; 3: 345-353,320 patients will be needed for alfa = 5% and 1-beta = 80%.
The primary analysis will be made according to the intention-to-treat approach and therefore
no correction for eventual drop outs is needed.
In addition, a secondary per-protocol analysis will be performed. Chi-square or Fisher's
exact test that will be used to analyze all categorical variables. Time to treatment failure
will be estimated using Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimates (that will be presented
graphically). The log-rank test will be used to assess the difference between the survival
curves for each arm, while ANOVA test and Student's t test will be used for continuous
variables unless the variables will not be normally distributed, in which case the
Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests will be used. Logistic regression analysis (forward
stepwise model) will be used to evaluate the relationship between variables and outcome.
All tests will be two-sided and a P value inferior to 0.05 will be regarded as significant.
The analysis of data will be performed by the proposing Study Center with the SPSS
statistical software package for Windows, version 13.0.
Drugs
This is a spontaneous study. It is proposed that all drugs will be dispensed according to
standard procedures.
Data use
Data will be used for scientific porpoises only. The analysis will be performed yearly and
the results will be disclosed to the major participating groups for discussion and comments.
The type and timing of publication of data will be agreed among the participants to the
study. The authorship of each presentation will be agreed among participants. It is
foreseeable that no more than 10 authors will be included for each publication. The number
of authors for each group will be proportional to the number of patients included at the
site. All participants will be acknowledged as members of the study group. The principal
investigator at each site will be responsible for indicating the researchers to include as
authors.
;
Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment
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