hiv

New HIV vaccine trial aims to build on earlier modest success

A late-stage trial will begin later this year in South Africa to test the effectiveness of an HIV vaccine that has shown promise in earlier trials, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Results from an ongoing preliminary trial in South Africa and a previous late-stage trial in Thailand suggest the new vaccine may provide lasting protection against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS.

“It is a follow up trial to the only trial that has shown partial efficacy,” said Dr. Larry Corey, president and director emeritus of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and principal investigator for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network in Seattle.

The new trial got the go-ahead this week from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases based on promising results from an early study known as HVTN 100. That trial, involving 252 men and women in South Africa, aimed to confirm that the experimental vaccine is safe and tolerable and that it triggers a response from the immune system.

Beginning in November, HIV Vaccine Trials Network researchers will start enrolling about 5,400 healthy men and women ages 18 to 35 into the large-scale trial known as HVTN 702.

Participants will receive five injections over one year, but half will be randomly assigned to receive dummy shots. The half receiving the active injection will actually be getting two vaccines. One known as ALVAC-HIV is from Sanofi Pasteur, and the second is a bivalent gp120 protein subunit vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline.

“You’re basically getting a combination of two separate vaccines,” said Corey.

The two-vaccine combo is very similar to a vaccine tested in a previous trial in Thailand known as RV144 that was led by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program. Results published in 2009 in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the experimental vaccine was 60 percent effective after one year. The effectiveness waned to 35 percent after 3.5 years, however.

For the new trial in South Africa, the vaccine was slightly reworked in an attempt to prolong its effectiveness. Also, it was designed to specifically protect against HIV subtype C, the predominant strain in South Africa.

UNAIDS estimates that in 2014, about 6.8 million people in South Africa were living with HIV in 2014 and about 140,000 people died of AIDS.

In addition to the vaccine, participants will receive usual care to prevent HIV infection, including condoms, lubricant, counseling, help with other sexually transmitted infections, information on circumcision and information on obtaining medicine in case of HIV exposure.

Participants will also have access to programs that provide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with the daily pill Truvada. The pill, manufactured by Gilead, is about 90 percent effective in preventing HIV transmission through sex when consistently taken, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Corey told Reuters Health that although PrEP is effective, it’s a monumental undertaking to get all people at risk for HIV to consistently take a daily pill.

“That’s an unprecedented concept and program for any disease,” he said. “The need for a vaccine is just imperative from a population based standpoint.”

The results from the new trial are not expected until late 2020, which means the vaccine is years away from being potentially available to the general public.

SOURCE: bit.ly/1WFUGAP AVAC, May 18, 2016.



Trending News on PVDN

  • baja-california-sur-tourism-growthBaja California Sur tourism growth continues despite recent violent events Baja California Sur tourism growth remains strong as nearly two million visitors arrive in early 2025, driven by safety measures and solid hotel occupancy rates. Baja California Sur has seen Baja California Sur tourism growth gather pace in the first half of 2025, drawing nearly two million visitors despite isolated reports of violence. According to…
  • cables-underground-plan-cdmxMexico City Telecommunications Law mandates companies to bury cables underground Mexico City’s new Telecommunications Law mandates burying overhead cables to improve safety, streamline connectivity, and enhance the urban image with a comprehensive cables underground plan. On Thursday, July 10, 2025, Mexico City took a decisive step to modernize its urban landscape and bolster public safety by approving a new Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law that requires…
  • ensenada airportEnsenada international airport project unveiled The Ensenada international airport project will feature a new runway, passenger terminal and commercial zone near Valle de Guadalupe, boosting regional connectivity and tourism with an investment of MXN 5,500 million for the Ensenada international airport. Ensenada will soon join Mexico’s growing network of modern aviation hubs. During the International Civil Airports Council (ACI) congress,…
  • cancun-boosts-tourism-diversification-sargassumCancún boosts tourism diversification to counter sargassum surge Cancún tourism diversification expands beyond beaches to water parks, cultural sites, religious tours and nightlife to tackle sargassum challenges and keep visitors engaged. Cancún’s iconic beaches have long drawn sun-seeking travelers from around the world. This summer, however, an influx of sargassum seaweed threatens that draw. To keep visitor numbers strong and protect local businesses,…
  • texas floodsUS thanks Mexico for sending rescue teams to assist in Texas flood The US government publicly thanked Mexico flood rescue teams for sending firefighters and civil protection specialists to assist search and rescue efforts in Kerrville, Texas, after deadly July 4 weekend floods. The United States government on July 8, 2025, formally thanked Mexico for its swift deployment of emergency personnel to aid search and rescue operations…
  • baja california tourist taxGovernment expects 256 million pesos from Baja California Sur tourist tax The Government of Baja California Sur aims to collect up to 256 million pesos in 2025 through the new “Embrace It” foreign visitor contribution, funding infrastructure and sustainability. The Government of Baja California Sur (BCS) plans to raise as much as 256 million pesos in 2025 by expanding a fee charged to international tourists under…
  • quintana-roo-sargassum-beaches-report-july-12-2025Sargassum levels hit moderate to excessive on 68% of monitored beaches in Quintana Roo Today, July 12, 2025, 68% of monitored Quintana Roo sargassum beaches report moderate to excessive algae arrivals while 25% remain clean. See the full list of clean and affected shores and learn how authorities are tackling the influx. The annual surge of sargassum has returned to Quintana Roo’s shores, with 68% of monitored beaches reporting…
  • guanajuato-free-700-workers-human-trafficking-labor-exploitationGuanajuato Authorities Free 700 Workers in Human Trafficking and Labor Exploitation Case An inter-institutional operation in Dolores Hidalgo freed 700 people from a ranch in a human trafficking and labor exploitation case and led to a narcotics probe. Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato - The Guanajuato Attorney General’s Office executed a landmark raid on a rural ranch in Dolores Hidalgo, freeing approximately 700 people who had been subjected to…
  • ensenada airportSan Miguel de Allende new airport plan drives regional growth Learn how the San Miguel de Allende airport plan and four other new regional airports will boost tourism, logistics, and economic development across Mexico. On July 11, 2025, Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, director of Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA), confirmed that the agency is evaluating the construction of a new airport in San Miguel de…
  • gender-revelation-pv-disappears-profepa-investigationGender Reveal Company at Center of Puerto Vallarta Controversy Disappears Revelación de Género PV vanished from social media after environmentalists and Profepa launched an investigation into its impact on Los Arcos de Mismaloya’s. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco — Revelación de Género PV, the operator behind the recently popular “gender reveal” boat tours at Los Arcos de Mismaloya, has abruptly vanished from social media and disconnected its…