Anti-Retrovirals for Kaposi's Sarcoma (ARKS)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00444379 |
Recruitment Status
:
Completed
First Posted
: March 7, 2007
Last Update Posted
: August 20, 2014
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Kaposi's Sarcoma HIV Infections | Drug: Lopinavir/ritonavir plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir versus Efavirenz plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir | Phase 4 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 224 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Single (Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Randomized Comparison of Protease Inhibitor-based Versus Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor-based Antiretroviral Therapy for Initial Treatment of Individuals With AIDS-related Kaposi's Sarcoma in Sub-Saharan Africa |
Study Start Date : | April 2007 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | February 2012 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | July 2012 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: PI-based HAART regimen
PI-based HAART regimen (lopinavir/ritonavir plus emtricitabine/tenofovir)
|
Drug: Lopinavir/ritonavir plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir versus Efavirenz plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir
Lopinavir/ritonavir 200/50mg plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir 200/300mg versus Efavirenz 600mg plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir 200/300mg
Other Names:
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Active Comparator: non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor
non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)-based HAART regimen (efavirenz plus emtricitabine/tenofovir)
|
Drug: Lopinavir/ritonavir plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir versus Efavirenz plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir
Lopinavir/ritonavir 200/50mg plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir 200/300mg versus Efavirenz 600mg plus Emtricitabine/Tenofovir 200/300mg
Other Names:
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- Blinded assessment of the change in the burden of KS lesionssurvival
- CD4+ T cell count and HIV plasma HIV RNA levels
- KSHV DNA levels in saliva and blood
- Humoral and cellular KSHV immune response markers
- Quality-of-life assessment
- Incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (KS-IRIS)

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18 years or older
- HIV-1 infection
- No prior antiretroviral therapy of any duration, including prior use to prevent perinatal transmission within prior six months.
- No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy for KS
- Presence of Kaposi's sarcoma, documented by biopsy by the Pathology Department at Mulago Hospital, with at least one mucocutaneous lesion (including oral or genital mucosal lesions), each at least 0.6 x 0.6 cm in perpendicular diameters.
- Laboratory values obtained within 21 days prior to randomization: absolute neutrophil count equal to or more than 1000/mm3; hemoglobin > 9.0 g/dL; platelet count > 50,000/mm3; creatinine < 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN); aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) < 5 times ULN; and alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin < 2 times ULN.
- In women, negative urine pregnancy test within 28 days of randomization and just before randomization.
- If a woman of child-bearing potential (i.e., not yet reached menopause or undergone hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, or tubal ligation), must be willing to use at least two of the following methods of contraception, to be provided by the study: condoms (male or female), IUD, or hormone-based therapy, e.g., contraceptive pills, Norplant or Depo-Provera.
- Candidate currently resides within Uganda and does not intend to relocate away from current geographical area of residence for the duration of study participation.
- Karnofsky performance score of 70 or more
Exclusion Criteria:
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Extensive degree of mucocutaneous KS, which would typically require chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This is defined by any of the following:
- One or more bulky cutaneous lesions, defined as at least 5.0 cm in greatest diameter across the surface of the skin and at least 3 cm in height
- One or more mucocutaneous lesions exhibiting ulceration
- One or more oral lesions that interfere with swallowing
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Suggestion of pulmonary or gastrointestinal visceral KS, as evidenced by any of the following:
- Abnormal chest x-ray within 21 days prior to randomization which is otherwise unexplained, unless the x-ray is unchanged compared with at least 60 days earlier
- Positive occult blood stool testing within 21 days prior to randomization or history of overt bleeding from the mouth or rectum in the 21 days prior to randomization
- Facial lymphedema or lymphedema in any other body region which causes symptoms (e.g., pain) or functional disability (e.g., any less than 85% active range of motion in a large joint)
- Evidence of currently active, untreated opportunistic infection or malignancy (not including Kaposi's sarcoma); or unexplained temperature which is > 38.5 degrees C
- Use of drugs, within the prior 28 days, contraindicated while taking lopinavir/ritonavir or efavirenz because of effects on the cytochrome P450 system. These include propafenone, astemizole, terfenadine, rifampin, rifapentine, ergot derivatives, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, midazolam, and triazolam.
- Active drug or alcohol use that, in the investigators' opinion, would interfere with study participation
- Breastfeeding

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00444379
Uganda | |
Infectious Diseases Institute, Mulago Hospital | |
Kampala, Uganda |
Principal Investigator: | Dr. Jeffrey N Martin, MD, MPH | University of California, San Francisco | |
Principal Investigator: | Dr. Edward K Mbidde, MBChB, MMed | MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on Aids |
Additional Information:
Responsible Party: | University of California, San Francisco |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00444379 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
NIH/NCI Grant #: R01 CA119903 |
First Posted: | March 7, 2007 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | August 20, 2014 |
Last Verified: | August 2014 |
Keywords provided by University of California, San Francisco:
Kaposi's sarcoma KSHV AIDS HHV-8 treatment naive |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections Sarcoma Sarcoma, Kaposi Lentivirus Infections Retroviridae Infections RNA Virus Infections Virus Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes Immune System Diseases Neoplasms, Connective and Soft Tissue Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms Herpesviridae Infections |
DNA Virus Infections Neoplasms, Vascular Tissue Ritonavir Lopinavir Tenofovir Emtricitabine Emtricitabine, Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Drug Combination Efavirenz Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors HIV Protease Inhibitors Protease Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Anti-HIV Agents Anti-Retroviral Agents |