adminHealth Reporter
The first HIV vaccine candidate to show a modest protection against the virus in humans will be tested again but this time using the same but improved vaccine regimens in Africa and Asia before it is licensed. Addressing a press conference here in Barcelona, Spain, where more than 1 000 world scientists are deliberating on progress and bottlenecks towards development of a vaccine, the deputy director for clinical research for the US Military HIV Research Program Dr Merlin Robb said these trials are aimed at re-confirming results of the initial study for maximum benefit.
“Progress in HIV vaccine development is measured by efficacy studies, so the more efficacy studies testing a diversity of concepts and certainly re-evaluating or extending the successes of the RV 144 is critical,” he said.
The RV 144 is a study which was conducted in Thailand in 2009 which showed that if administered to people it can provide 31 percent chances of protection against acquiring HIV from an infected partner. Dr Robb said basing on the successes, researchers are confident that a safe and effective preventive vaccine is possible.
Online Reporter