To determine the safety and efficacy of erythropoietin administered to patients with AIDS or advanced AIDS related complex ARC and anemia.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following are excluded:

• History of any primary hematologic disease.
• Clinically significant disease / dysfunction of the pulmonary, cardiovascular, endocrine, neurologic, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary systems not attributable to underlying HIV disease.
• AIDS-related dementia.
• Uncontrolled hypertension (diastolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg).
• Presence of concomitant iron deficiency.
• Anemia attributable to factors other than AIDS or zidovudine (AZT) therapy.
• Acute opportunistic infection.
• History of seizures.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Zidovudine (AZT) during the double-blind phase of the study.

Patients with clinically significant disease / dysfunction of the pulmonary, cardiovascular, endocrine, neurologic, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary systems not attributable to underlying AIDS are excluded.

Prior Medication:

Excluded within 30 days of study entry:

• Experimental drug or experimental device.
• Cytotoxic chemotherapy.
• Excluded within 2 months of study entry:
• Androgen therapy.
• Zidovudine (AZT) and during double-blind phase of study.

Clinical diagnosis of AIDS related anemia.

• Clinical diagnosis of AIDS or advanced AIDS related complex (ARC).
• Clinically stable for 1 month preceding study entry.

Substance abuse.