A Phase I Dose Escalation Study of Synthetic Hypericin in HIV-Infected Patients With Less Than 300 CD4 Lymphocytes

Inclusion Criteria Concurrent Medication: Allowed: Prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (required for patients with CD4+ < 200). Symptomatic treatment with analgesics, antihistamines, antiemetics, antidiarrheal agents, or other supportive therapy. Short courses (< 10 days) with ketoconazole or fluconazole for oral candidiasis or acyclovir for herpes lesions. Topical medications such as clotrimazole troches or nystatin suspensions. Concurrent Treatment: Allowed: Blood transfusions. Patients must have HIV infection with CD+4 lymphocyte count of < 300 cells/mm3. Exclusion Criteria Co-existing Condition: Patients with the following conditions or symptoms are excluded. Kaposi's sarcoma requiring systemic therapy. Concurrent Medication: Excluded: Continued use of opiates or drugs known to induce photosensitivity. Patients with the following are excluded: Active or chronic opportunistic infection at time of study entry that required curative or suppressive therapy. Significant liver disease, orthostatic hypotension, cardiac disease, seizure disorder, lymphoma, hypotension. Prior Medication: Excluded: Zidovudine (AZT), dideoxyinosine (ddI), dideoxycytidine (ddC), interferon, other antiretroviral agents or immunomodulating drugs within 1 month prior to study entry. Ribavirin within 3 months of study entry. Ganciclovir (DHPG), antimycobacterial drugs, MAO inhibitors, hypertension-inducing, nephrotoxic, or hepatotoxic drugs within 14 days of entry. Cytotoxic chemotherapy within 1 month prior to study entry. Active substance abuse.