The Concorde findings considered

The eagerly-awaited results of the Concorde trial were revealed last week in theLancet [9 April].1Preliminary findings that were published just over a year ago in a letter to theLancet [April 3, 1993]* caused considerable controversy at the time. However, the original conclusions from the Concorde study remain unchanged, despite any minor differences in figures that may have emerged. According to the investigators, the results of the Concorde trial are sufficient to discourage the early use of zidovudine in symptom-free HIV-infected adults. Furthermore, in their view, doubt has now been cast on the‘uncritical use of CD4 counts as “surrogate endpoints” in trials’.Inevitably, controversy will continue to reign, especially in view of a number of criticisms that have been levelled at the study.