African HIV trials could create world’s first vaccine

South Africa is on track to produce the world’s first licensed HIV/AIDS vaccine. During the 21st International AIDS Conference in South Africa last month (18-22 July ), Glenda Gray, president of the South African Medical Research Council, said that they are undertaking a large-scale trial to assess whether HVTN 702 vaccine could prevent South African adults from getting HIV. Carl Dieffenbach, director of the US National Institute of Health’s Division of AIDS, explained that it has taken seven years to reach this stage. Dieffenbach added that he US-based HIV Vaccine Trials Network, in collaboration with South African researchers, relied on the findings of the RV144 trial, which had an efficacy of 31 per cent in Thailand, to conduct HVTN 100, a smaller initial trial. “HVTN 100 used the same vaccines that RV144 tested, but made them specific to the subtype of HIV found in southern Africa,” said Linda-Gail Bekker, deputy director of the South...