Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of clindamycin plus pyrimethamine for induction and maintenance therapy of toxoplasmic encephalitis in AIDS.

Through the European Network in the Treatment of AIDS, a multicenter trial is being conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of pyrimethamine (50 mg/day) plus clindamycin (2.4 g/day) with the regimen of pyrimethamine (50 mg/day) and sulfadiazine (4.0 g/day) for induction and maintenance treatment of toxoplasmic encephalitis. By 1 September 1990, 281 patients had been randomized to enter the study. Preliminary data show that 77% of the 148 patients evaluated showed a complete response or improvement with minor sequelae during therapy. Twenty percent of the patients deteriorated. This was due to toxoplasmosis in only 10% of the patients. Side-effects were common in all patients regardless of treatment regimen and consisted mainly of rash (52 cases), fever (31 cases), diarrhea (17 cases) and nausea (12 cases). The final analysis should be available by the middle of 1991.