Inclusion Criteria
Concurrent Medication:
Allowed:
- Patients may receive oral acyclovir and may continue prophylactic treatment for PCP, fungal infection, MAC and toxoplasmosis.
- Topical treatment and intralesional chemotherapy will be allowed for lesions which will not be used as indicator or biopsy lesions.
Concurrent Treatment:
Allowed:
Localized radiotherapy will be allowed for lesions which will not be used as indicator or biopsy lesions.
Patients must have:
- Documentation of a positive ELISA test for HIV with a confirmatory test.
- Biopsy proven, cutaneous or oropharyngeal Kaposi's sarcoma.
- Vital signs, physical examination and laboratory assessments that exhibit no evidence of an acute illness.
- Patients must agree to report all current medications to the primary investigator and obtain prior permission to use them when feasible.
Exclusion Criteria
Co-existing Condition:
Patients with the following symptoms and conditions are excluded:
- Evidence of pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma.
- Positive urine screen for recreational drugs.
- Current participation in another antiviral research study.
- Investigator anticipates poor patient compliance with the protocol.
- Patient has any condition that, in the investigator's opinion, may obscure the proper observation of the safety or activity of ritonavir.
Concurrent Medication:
Excluded:
- Antiretroviral therapy.
- Protease inhibitor therapy.
- Antiviral agent (e.g., oral ganciclovir or Foscarnet) or prophylactic medication for an AIDS defining illness which the patient cannot be removed from.
- Chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma.
- Treatment with any medications that may interact with ritonavir.
Concurrent Treatment:
Excluded:
Radiotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma.
Patients with any of the following prior conditions are excluded:
- History of psychiatric illness which is currently medically significant.
- History of pancreatitis.
Prior Medication:
Excluded:
- All antiretroviral therapy within 2 weeks prior to the start of the treatment phase of the study.
- Systemic chemotherapy of interferon within 30 days prior to study entry.
- Previous treatment with a protease inhibitor.
Risk Behavior:
Excluded:
Active substance abuse.