Combined zidovudine and interferon‐alpha treatment in patients with AIDS‐associated Kaposi's sarcoma

Abstract

The effectiveness of addition of interferon‐alpha (IFN‐alpha) to zidovudine in patients with AIDS‐associated Kaposi's sarcoma was assessed in a non‐randomized, phase II clinical trial. Twenty‐one patients were treated with oral zidovudine (600 mg daily) and IFN‐alpha (9 MU subcutaneously daily) for 8 weeks. In patients with progressive disease, IFN‐alpha was increased to 18 MU daily for another 4 weeks. Only one of the 20 evaluable patients achieved a partial response at 8 weeks, that lasted for 3 months. Despite IFN‐alpha dose escalation in six patients, no further responses were seen. While myelotoxicity was mild, fatigue was the dose‐limiting side‐effect that prevented dose escalation in seven eligible patients. The combined treatment did not result in a decrease in HIV‐Ag. In summary, our results indicate that the addition of IFN‐alpha to zidovudine in patients with AIDS‐associated Kaposi's sarcoma is not an efficacious treatment.