Inclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

• Aerosolized pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis.
• TMP/SMX as an alternative prophylactic agent, 1 DS tablet orally per day.
• Acute therapy with oral acyclovir for herpes simplex infections for no more than 7 days, providing d4t is suspended Symptomatic therapy such as analgesics, antihistamines, antiemetics, antidiarrheal agents, or other supportive therapy may be administered for toxicities as deemed necessary by the principal investigator. For therapy of fever, aspirin rather than acetaminophen should be used.

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

• Transfusion of up to 2 units of packed red blood cells every 3 weeks for grade 3 or grade 4 anemia (see Recommendations for Grading of Acute and Subacute Toxic Effects (Adults)) until patient returns to baseline from grade 3 or to baseline or grade 1 from grade 4.

Patient must have:

• AIDS or AIDS related complex (CDC Group IVA or CDC Group IVC-2 with thrush or oral leukoplakia).
• Ability to provide informed consent.
• Availability to follow-up for at least 6 months.
• Absence of active, AIDS-defining opportunistic infection on study entry.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following are excluded:

• Active, AIDS-defining opportunistic infection.
• Intractable diarrhea.
• History or propensity for seizure disorders requiring anticonvulsants for control.
• Any other clinical condition which in the opinion of the investigator would make the patient unsuitable or unable to comply with the dosing requirements.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Systemic therapy with this or any other antiretroviral drug (including AL-721, ddI, ddC, interferon, immunomodulating drugs) or investigational drug.
• Ribavirin.
• Cytotoxic anticancer therapy.
• Therapy with any agent known as a potent inducer or inhibitor of drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as rifampin or barbiturates.
• Systemic maintenance or chemoprophylaxis for opportunistic infections.
• Trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole for Pneumocystis carinii infections.
• Acute therapy with ketoconazole for thrush.
• Neurotoxic agents listed in the protocol.

Patients with the following are excluded:

• Previous intolerance to zidovudine (AZT) as demonstrated by transfusion dependent anemia (transfusion required every 3 weeks or less and AZT-related depression of neutrophils to < 500 cells/mm3).
• Life expectancy < 6 months.

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

• Any other prior therapy which in the opinion of the investigator would make the patient unsuitable or unable to comply with the dosing requirements.

Excluded within 2 weeks of study entry:

• Therapy with any agent known as a potent inducer or inhibitor of drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as rifampin or barbiturates.

Excluded within 1 month of study entry:

• Systemic therapy with this or any other antiretroviral drug (including AL-721, interferon, immunomodulating drugs, ddI, ddC) or any investigational drug.

Excluded within 3 months of study entry:

• Ribavirin.
• Cytotoxic anticancer therapy.

Prior Treatment:

Excluded:

• Any prior therapy which in the opinion of the investigator would make the patient unsuitable or unable to comply with the dosing requirements.

Preference:

• Tolerating zidovudine (AZT) at time of study entry.

Active alcohol or drug abuse sufficient, in the investigator's opinion, to prevent adequate compliance with study therapy.