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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, March 2004, p. 918-923, Vol. 48, No. 3
0066-4804/04/$08.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.3.918-923.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York,1 University of Miami, Miami, Florida,2 University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,3 University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio,4 Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts5
Received 22 July 2003/ Returned for modification 23 September 2003/ Accepted 4 November 2003
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The rationale for combining indinavir and nelfinavir and employing prolonged administration intervals (e.g., q12h) was based on the premise that positive drug interactions would occur via competition for cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, thereby resulting in greater drug exposure over a 12-h dosing interval (3; Viracept package insert; Agouron Pharmaceuticals). Therefore, the objective for these two substudies was to examine indinavir and nelfinavir disposition in antiretroviral-naive, HIV-infected subjects to determine protease inhibitor drug exposure during an extended dosing interval (q12h).
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200 cells/mm3 or a plasma HIV RNA level of
80,000 copies/ml (using the standard Roche Amplicor HIV-1 monitor assay) within 60 days prior to study entry. (iii) Zidovudine (ZDV), zalcitabine, didanosine, or stavudine therapy alone or in combination any time prior to study entry or no prior antiretroviral therapy (treatment naive). Subjects with intolerance to 600 mg of ZDV per day, defined as any grade of toxicity which resulted in a dose reduction or termination of ZDV, could substitute stavudine for ZDV at any time during the study. (iv) A Karnofsky performance status of
70 within 14 days prior to study entry. (v) The following laboratory parameters within 14 days prior to study entry: hemoglobin level of
9.1 g/dl for men and
8.9 g/dl for women, absolute neutrophil count of
850 cells/mm3, platelet count of
45,000 platelets/mm3, an aspartate aminotransferase (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase)/alanine aminotransferase (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase) ratio of
5.0 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), total serum amylase level of
1.5 times the ULN (if the serum amylase was more than 1.5 times the ULN, pancreatic amylase or lipase level must have been
1.5 times the ULN), serum creatinine level of
2.0 times the ULN. (vi) Age of at least 13 years. All women of childbearing potential were required to use an acceptable form of birth control to prevent pregnancy while receiving study medications and for 3 months thereafter. Due to potential interactions between study medications and oral contraceptives or depo-progesterone, oral contraceptives or depo-progesterone was not used as the sole form of birth control. Women of childbearing potential had a negative serum or urine ß-human chorionic gonadotropin within 14 days prior to study entry.
Subjects were excluded according to the following criteria. (i) Acute therapy for a serious infection or other serious medical illnesses that were potentially life threatening and that required systemic therapy and/or hospitalization within 14 days prior to study entry. (ii) Subjects with a serious infection or serious medical illness who had not completed acute therapy <14 days prior to study entry. (iii) Subjects with other infections or medical illnesses (e.g., vaginitis, folliculitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, etc.) who completed acute therapy prior to study entry, with the exception of oral thrush, which had no restriction. (iv) Unexplained temperature of >38.5°C for any 7 days or chronic diarrhea (defined as >3 liquid stools per day persisting for 15 days and within 30 days prior to study entry). (iv) A malignancy which required systemic therapy. Subjects with minimal Kaposi's sarcoma, defined as no more than five cutaneous lesions and no visceral disease or tumor-associated edema, were allowed to enroll as long as they did not require systemic therapy for Kaposi's sarcoma.
Subjects were not receiving the following medications: erythropoietin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor within 30 days prior to study entry; interferons, interleukins, or HIV vaccines within 30 days prior to study entry; any experimental therapy within 30 days prior to study entry; or amiodarone, astemizole, cisapride, ergot alkaloids (or drugs containing derivatives of ergot alkaloids), itraconazole, midazolam, quinidine, rifampin, terfenadine, or triazolam within 14 days of study entry.
Women who were pregnant or breast-feeding were excluded. All subjects meeting eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to one of three treatment arms. Treatment was started within 72 h after randomization. Subjects who volunteered to participate in the substudies were registered for the main study at the same time that they were registered to a substudy. Subjects were assigned to treatment in the main study by using a permuted block randomization within each AIDS clinical trials unit with stratification by screening the CD4 cell count (
50 cells/mm3 versus >50 cells/mm3), screening HIV-1 RNA (
40,000 copies/ml versus >40,000 copies/ml), and prior antiretroviral treatment (no therapy versus any therapy). Prior to their participation in the substudy, all subjects were required to give informed consent in accordance with the consent process approved by each participating site's investigational review board.
Subjects enrolled in ACTG 733 and 5060 were instructed to take their study medications on a regular schedule and to then return to the study clinic on or after day 14 for an 8-h (indinavir, 800 mg, q8h) or 12-h (indinavir, 1,000 or 1200 mg, q12h [with nelfinavir, 1250 mg, q12h]) pharmacokinetic study. On the day of the pharmacokinetic study, the subjects arrived in a fasted state and a catheter was placed to allow venous access for serial blood sampling. A blood sample was collected from patients before they received their morning medications. The study medications were taken with water, and blood sampling continued at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 8.0, 10.0, and 12.0 h (for q12h regimens only). The subjects took no additional medications until the completion of the pharmacokinetic sampling period. Study medications were given at approximately 8:00 in the morning, with a light breakfast within 30 min of dosing. After a protocol-mandated increase in the indinavir dose from 1,000 mg every 12 h to 1,200 mg every 12 h, a second cohort of subjects were asked to repeat the pharmacokinetic study after at least 2 weeks on the increased indinavir dose. Blood samples were collected in a 5-ml heparinized tube and centrifuged for 10 min at 800 x g for use in the indinavir and nelfinavir assay. After plasma separation, the plasma was split into two equal aliquots. The samples were stored at -70°C until shipment by overnight delivery to an Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (AACTG) pharmacology support laboratory for high-performance liquid chromatography analysis.
Data analysis Standard noncompartmental techniques using WinNonlin version 2.1 (Pharsight, Palo Alto, Calif.) were used to assess pharmacokinetic parameters. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) was determined by using the linear-trapezoidal method, and the maximum observed concentration (Cmax) and time to maximum observed concentration (Tmax) were determined by visual inspection. If the sample drawn at the end of the dosing interval was not available or increased in concentration compared to the previous time point, the concentration reported was determined by extrapolation using the estimated terminal elimination rate. Clearance (CL) was calculated as CL = dose/AUC. Pharmacokinetic parameters or their log transforms were compared among groups by using the two-sample t test in SAS software version 8 (SAS Institute, Cary, N.C.).
Drug assays Indinavir and nelfinavir were measured in plasma with high-performance liquid chromatography in two AACTG pharmacology support laboratories (nelfinavir was measured at Stanford University [Stanford, Calif.]; indinavir was measured at the University of California, San Francisco) using methods validated within the AACTG quality assurance proficiency testing program. The lower limits of quantitation were <10 ng/ml and <187.5 ng/ml for indinavir and nelfinavir, respectively.
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FIG. 1. Indinavir (IDV) plasma concentration profiles for 800 mg of indinavir q8h (top), 1,000 mg of indinavir q12h with 1,250 mg of nelfinavir q12h (middle), and 1,200 mg of indinavir q12h with 1,250 mg of nelfinavir q12h (bottom). Each symbol and associated line represent a subject. Concentrations less than 10 µg/liter were below the lower limit of detection and are therefore not included herein.
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View this table: [in a new window] |
TABLE 1. Pharmacokinetic parameters for indinavir and nelfinavira
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Nelfinavir appeared to decrease clearance of indinavir (Fig. 2). Median indinavir clearance was significantly lower (P < 0.017) for subjects who received nelfinavir (34.1 liters/h [interquartile range, 22.6 to 45.8 liters/h]) than for those who did not receive nelfinavir (47.9 liters/h [interquartile range, 42.7 to 70.3 liters/h]).
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FIG. 2. Indinavir (IDV) clearance with and without concomitant administration of nelfinavir (NFV). The median is represented by the horizontal line inside the box; the top and bottom of the box represent the third quartile (75th percentile) and the first quartile (25th percentile), respectively. Whiskers are drawn from the upper edge of the box to the maximum observation within the upper fence (1.5 times the interquartile range [IQR] above the third quartile) and from the lower edge of the box to the minimum observation within the lower fence (1.5 times the IQR below the first quartile). Observations that fall beyond the fences are identified individually with symbols.
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FIG. 3. Nelfinavir (NFV) plasma concentration profiles in subjects receiving 1,000 mg of indinavir q12h with 1,250 mg of nelfinavir q12h (top) or 1,200 mg of indinavir q12h with 1,250 mg of nelfinavir q12h (bottom). Each symbol and associated line represent a subject. Two subjects in each substudy demonstrated a prolonged plasma concentration profile.
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Our results indicate that the combination of indinavir and nelfinavir may not provide optimal exposure due to unpredictable interaction potential. If indinavir and nelfinavir are combined and administered every 12 h, 1,200 mg of indinavir is a more appropriate dose than 1,000 mg. The risks of low indinavir exposure when using a twice-daily indinavir regimen have been emphasized when comparing results of twice-daily to thrice-daily regimens (8). Although target indinavir trough concentrations remain under investigation, recent recommendations have been presented based on the growing amount of evidence supporting the relationship between protease inhibitor concentrations and clinical outcome (D. M. Burger, P. W. Hugen, J. Droste, A. D. Huitema, et al., Abstr. 2nd Int. Workshop Clin. Pharmacol. HIV Ther., abstr. 6.2a and 6.2b, 2001; D. M. Burger et al., 12th World AIDS Conf.; C. V. Fletcher, T. Fenton, C. Powell, et al., Abstr. 8th Conf. Retrovir. Opportunistic Infect., abstr. 259, 2001; 1, 7). Since concentrations below the limit of detection for appreciable periods during a dosing interval are to be avoided, 1,200 mg of indinavir would be the preferred dose when relying on the pharmacokinetic boosting effects of nelfinavir in a twice-daily regimen.
The rationale for combining indinavir and nelfinavir with a goal of prolonging the dosing interval (e.g., to q12h) was based on limited clinical data. Subsequently, a small study demonstrated the antiviral effect of indinavir-nelfinavir combinations, with 45% of subjects achieving <400 viral copies/ml at week 72 (12). Interestingly, the pharmacokinetic profiles in the subjects we studied suggest that some type of interaction is at work when indinavir and nelfinavir are taken together. Nelfinavir coadministration resulted in significantly slower drug clearance (Fig. 2) and higher 24-h AUCs. This interaction was not evident in the only other report of this combination (12). For example, Fig. 1 illustrates subjects with a rapid decline in indinavir plasma concentrations over a 12-h dosing interval. In contrast, certain subjects had plasma indinavir concentrations that were sustained and exceed what are considered to be reasonable minimum plasma concentrations (e.g., 80 to 120 ng/ml) (1).
Nelfinavir is metabolized by 2C19; therefore, indinavir is not expected to act as a nelfinavir-boosting agent. Although we did not have a group that received nelfinavir alone for comparison, nelfinavir exposures were similar among substudy groups regardless of indinavir dose. Figure 3 illustrates concentration plots, including two types of subjects with markedly different nelfinavir plasma concentration profiles in each indinavir dosing group. One group had a rapid increase followed by a rapid decline in plasma concentrations, while the second group had an elevated trough at baseline, followed by a slow peak and slow decline. These different patterns suggest that an interaction may occur in certain individuals but not in others. Factors potentially contributing to this observation include those based on pharmacogenetics differences in drug disposition (4, 5). This observation needs to be further investigated in an attempt to identify patient factors that may be associated therewith.
In summary, the results of determining the pharmacokinetics of indinavir and nelfinavir when used in combination in this population of HIV-1-infected subjects indicate that indinavir at a dosage of 1,200 mg every 12 h is the preferred dose. More study is needed to determine whether the addition of a more potent boosting agent, such as ritonavir, will result in increased indinavir exposure. There also appears to be significant pharmacokinetic variability in exposure to nelfinavir when that drug is combined with indinavir.
This work was supported by funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Cincinnati AIDS Clinical Trials grant number AI-25897 (Judith Feinberg), University of Washington AIDS Clinical Trials grant number AI 27664 (Ann Collier), University of Miami AIDS Clinical Trials grant number AI27675 (M. Fischl), University at Buffalo Adult AIDS Pharmacology Support Laboratory grant number 200PC006 (G. Morse, R. Dicenzo, and A. Forrest), and by SDAC (grant number 5 U01 AI38855).
The Adult AIDS Clinical Trial Group 388/733/5060 Study Team (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Md.) comprises the following members: Robert DiCenzo (University at Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y.), Alan Forrest (University at Buffalo), Margaret A. Fischl (University of Miami, Miami, Fla.), Ann Collier (University of Washington, Seattle), Judith Feinberg (University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio), Heather Ribaudo (Harvard University, Boston, Mass.), Robin DiFrancecso (University at Buffalo), Gene D. Morse (University at Buffalo), Stefano Vella (Istituto Superiore di Sanita), Marjorie Dehlinger (National Institutes of Health), Kellye Maxwell (AACTG Operations Center), Sandra Dascomb (Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation, Inc.), Ana Martinez (National Institutes of Health), Alejo Erice (University of Minnesota Medical School), Scott Hammer (Columbia University), Julie McElrath (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), Allan Rodriguez (University of Miami School of Medicine), Ernesto G. Scerpella (University of Miami), Alfred Saah (Merck & Co., Inc.), Rand Rhodes (Merck & Co., Inc.), Diane Goodwin (GlaxoWellcome, Inc.), Alex Rinehart (Virco, Inc.), Steven Schnittman (Bristol-Myers Squibb), Nancy Ruiz (DuPont Pharmaceuticals Co.), Laura J. Bessen (DuPont Pharmaceuticals Co.), Jeff Schouten, Pualani K. Kondo (University of Hawaii), Marlene Cooper (Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation, Inc.), and Nick Hellmann (ViroLogic, Inc.).
Contributing members of the ACTG 388/733/5060 Study Team are listed in Acknowledgments. ![]()
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