HIV/AIDS Vaccine trials underway

The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) has launched an international clinical trial which will test a HIV vaccine candidate for humans in Botswana. The trials were "a new stage in global HIV research," as they would be conducted simultaneously in the United States and Africa, HVTN principal investigator Dr Larry Corey said in a statement. "Africa is carrying the greatest burden of the AIDS epidemic, and it is therefore crucial that HIV vaccine development include African leadership, participation and support," he added. The vaccine, called EP HIV-1090, will be tested on 42 volunteers in Gaborone. Welcoming the study, health minister Joy Phumaphi said: "The volunteers for this trial exemplify the best of the traditional Botswana values of altruism and selflessness." The volunteers will be healthy, HIV-1-uninfected people between the ages of 18 and 40. According to the network, no live HI virus was used in making the vaccine, and there was no possible way for EP HIV-1090 to cause HIV infection in any participant. As the body learnt to defend itself against the vaccine, the researchers hope that it will also learn to fight off real HIV, should the body ever be exposed to the actual virus. "Our understanding of HIV vaccine science grows with each human trial we undertake," said Max Essex, principal investigator of the Botswana HIV Vaccine Trial Unit. The trial is currently in its first phase and will last for 18 months. For more information: www.hvtn.org