November 2002 Cover
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The fungal antibiotic fumagillin can resolve intractable intestinal infections in HIV patients and others, according to researchers in France.
The researchers assessed the performance of fumagillin in a group of 10 AIDS patients and two organ transplant recipients. All six patients treated with fumagillin were cleared of
fungal infection, which was not seen in any of the six placebo-treated patients, they said.
Patients who received fumagillin therapy enjoyed significant improvements in Karnofsky performance status and intestinal nutrient absorption, and were able to reduce their intake
of the anti-diarrhea drug loperamide, study data showed. None of these benefits was seen in control patients until they were switched to open-label fumagillin treatment.
However, three of the six patients originally treated with fumagillin developed severe neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia, while two patients relapsed within one year.
Editor's Note: from AIDS Weekly
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