A dose-ranging study to evaluate the antiretroviral activity and safety of amprenavir alone and in combination with abacavir in HIV-infected adults with limited antiretroviral experience

Objective: To evaluate the antiretroviral activity and safety of multiple escalating doses of amprenavir administered alone, and in combination with abacavir in HIV-1-infected adults. Design: Sixty-two HIV-1-infected subjects were enrolled in a multicentre, open-label, non-randomized, dose-escalating trial. Methods: Subjects were assigned to one of six dose groups and received amprenavir 300 mg twice daily, 300mg three times daily, 900, 1050, or 1200 mg twice daily for 4 weeks. One dose group received amprenavir 900 mg twice daily in combination with abacavir 300 mg twice daily for 4 weeks. Antiretroviral activity was assessed by measuring changes from baseline in plasma HIV-1 RNA levels and CD4 cell counts. Safety was evaluated by monitoring clinical adverse events and changes in laboratory values. Genotypic and phenotypic analyses were performed using ABI sequencing and the recombinant virus assay, respectively. Results: At week 4, amprenavir monotherapy (900, 1050, or 1200 mg twice daily) resulted in marked decreases in plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (1.3-1.6 log 10 copies/ml), and substantial increases in CD4 cell counts in the two dose groups who received 1050 mg twice daily (118×10 6 cells/mm 3 ) or 1200 mg twice daily (114×10 6 cells/mm 3 ). Amprenavir/abacavir resulted in median plasma HIV-1 RNA reductions of 1.8 log 10 copies/ml, and median CD4 cell count increases of 138×10 6 cells/mm 3 . Amprenavir was reasonably well tolerated with few treatment-limiting adverse events. No known active site mutations associated with amprenavir resistance were selected in any of the dose groups, and no significant phenotypic resistance to amprenavir developed during 4 weeks of therapy. Conclusions: The antiviral effect of amprenavir monotherapy increased with escalating doses, and all amprenavir doses were reasonably well tolerated over 4 weeks of therapy. Amprenavir/abacavir combination therapy elicited a potent antiviral effect. The three highest doses of amprenavir (900, 1050 and 1200 mg twice daily) were selected to design subsequent Phase II and III studies that confirmed the safety profile and efficacy of amprenavir in combination regimens and led to the approval of amprenavir in the USA in 1999.