Clinical trial of tolerance of HPA-23 in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

An open-label, multicenter clinical trial assessed the tolerance of HPA-23 (ammonium-21-tungsto-9-antimoniate) in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Sixty-nine patients were sequentially assigned to receive 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mg of HPA-23 per kg intravenously 5 days per week for 8 weeks. HPA-23 was fairly well tolerated at doses of 1.0 mg/kg or less; nearly 60% of patients given 2.0 mg/kg discontinued treatment. Twenty-six patients discontinued treatment because of adverse events or concurrent illness. HPA-23 produced dose-related decreases in platelet count and increases in serum glutamine oxalacetic transaminase. There were no changes in immune system function, as determined by total lymphocyte count, T₄-cell count, T₈-cell count, and T₄/T₈ ratio. The effects of HPA-23 seemed to be more closely related to the total dose than to the daily dose. No improvement in the clinical status of the patients was observed during the 8 weeks of treatment.