Prevention of atherosclerosis in patients living with HIV

Abstract

Investigational product: Rosuvastatin (Crestor® ; Astra Zeneca). Active ingredients: Rosuvastatin (5 mg). Study title: Prevention of Atherosclerosis in Patients Living with HIV. Phase of study: Phase III. Aims: Primary aim: • To assess whether rosuvastatin therapy could slow the progression of the carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT; as measured by the change in the mean IMT of the near and far walls of the distal common carotid arteries) over 2 years in HIV-infected patients (HIV-IP). Secondary aims: • To assess whether rosuvastatin therapy could reduce highly sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) inflammatory marker that is increased in HIV-IP. • To assess the effect of rosuvastatin therapy on serum lipid levels (total cholesterol [TC], low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol and triglycerides [TG]) and apolipoproteins (APO A1, APO B and APO B/A1). • To assess the safety of rosuvastatin in HIV-IP through the evaluation of clinical laboratory analyses (liver function tests and creatine kinase) and adverse events (AEs). Study design: Two-year randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study. Planned sample size: 320 HIV-IP. Summary of eligibility criteria: HIV-IP who are aged between 30 and 60 years, with a CD4 count. greater than 200 cells/mm3. Patients must be stable on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) for at least 12 months and have a 10-year CVD risk of less than 20% (using the Framingham risk score). Number of study centers: One. Duration of treatment: Two years (5 mg rosuvastatin or placebo once daily). Dose and route of administration: Oral rosuvastatin (5 mg) once daily. The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in HIV-IP is at least three times higher than in the general population and further increases each year with combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART). The carotid atherosclerosis progression rate is 10 times higher in HIV-IP than in uninfected individuals. The aim of this study is to assess whether therapy with 5 mg rosuvastatin could: 1) Slow the progression in the mean IMT of the distal common carotid arteries over two years in HIV-IP. 2) Change the concentration in the inflammatory marker - hs-CRP, which is increased in HIV-IP. 3) Change the concentrations of TC, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, TG, apolipoproteins (APO) B, APO A1 and APO B/A1. 4) Be administered safely in the study population. Pharmacological intervention with rosuvastatin will be evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial in HIV-IP treated with cART not matching the published selection criteria for lipid-lowering therapy. For the first time, this study will investigate anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic effects of a pharmacological lipid-lowering agent in HIV-IP that may lead to the reduction of CVD. © 2009 De Lorenzo et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.