Inclusion Criteria
Concurrent Medication:
Required:
- Anti-pneumocystis prophylactic therapy (dihydropteroate synthetase inhibitors with or without dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors, pentamidine).
Allowed:
- Concomitant anti-HIV therapy (AZT, ddI, ddC) or antifungal therapy (including azoles).
Patients must have:
- HIV infection.
- CD4 count < 100 cells/mm3.
- No MAC positive blood cultures within 1 month prior to study entry.
- No symptoms suggestive of disseminated MAC infection (including unexplained diarrhea, fever, and night sweats) within 1 month of study entry.
Exclusion Criteria
Co-existing Condition:
Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded:
- Positive PPD within 3 months prior to study entry (negative PPD defined as < 5 mm induration).
- Chest x-ray suggestive of any active disease, in particular tuberculosis.
- Known hypersensitivity to macrolide antibiotics.
- Any other acute clinical condition likely to interfere with completion of the protocol.
- Inability to care for self without considerable assistance and medical care.
Concurrent Medication:
Excluded:
- Other investigational new drugs (except for foscarnet or ddC) unless prior agreement has been reached between the investigator and the Pfizer project physician.
- Concomitant putative immunostimulants.
Patients with the following prior conditions are excluded:
History of MAC or Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) infection.
Prior Medication:
Excluded within the past 4 weeks:
- Any putative anti-MAC therapies including rifampin, rifabutin, clofazimine, ethambutol, cycloserine, ethionamide, amikacin, and ciprofloxacin or other quinolones thought to be active against MAC.