HIV Vaccine Awareness Day 2011
18 May is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, a day to recognise the efforts of healthy volunteers, patients, community educators, healthcare professionals and scientists in the search for a safe and effective HIV vaccine. According to the World Health Organisation, HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth biggest killer in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the hardest hit region with at least 25 million infected people, accounting for 70% of the people living with HIV/AIDS and 77% of AIDS deaths worldwide. EDCTP currently funds six studies involving HIV vaccine research, two of which are clinical trials.
n two research sites in Kenya and the Gambia a study (PedVacc) is conducted to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a candidate HIV-1 vaccine (MVA.HIVA, a component of a more complex future vaccine) in infants. In the phase I study in The Gambia the vaccine was administered to healthy infants born to HIV uninfected mothers. In the phase I/II study in Kenya the vaccine is administered to healthy children born to HIV-1 infected mothers. The MVA.HIVA vaccine has been previously tested in 13 studies in the UK and Africa, involving a total of 375 adult volunteers and is safe and well tolerated. The study in The Gambia is completed while that in Kenya is still in progress.
In Tanzania and Mozambique the TaMoVac I and II studies assess the safety and immunogenicity of plasmid DNA + MVA-CMDR and explore new delivery methods and optimal strategies of priming and boosting the immune system against HIV. Both studies are ongoing with healthy volunteers being screened and enrolled.
PedVacc, Tamovac I and four non-clinical trial studies are projects that received a grant under the joint call for proposals by EDCTP and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that was launched on World Aids Day 2006. The four non-clinical studies (CATSA, HIVTAB, CHIVTUM, and AfrEVacc) all aim to build or enhance capacity to conduct future HIV clinical trials in Africa according to international regulatory standards. The preparation for future HIV vaccine trials includes e.g. improvement of laboratory and research facilities, staff training, HIV incidence surveys, genotyping HIV strands, cohort development or social studies.
More information on HIV Vaccine initiatives and HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on the websites of:
- World Health Organisation: WHO UNAIDs HIV Vaccine Initiative
- European Union: Directorate General for Research – Infectious Diseases
- Imperial College London: Department of Medicine on the African-European HIV Vaccine Development Network
- IAVI: International Aids Vaccine Initiative
- National Institutes of Health – NIAID: National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (USA); press release 11 May 2011 NIH
- CAVD Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery
- AVAC Global advocacy for HIV Prevention
- HIV Vaccine Trials Network
- Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise
About EDCTP
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) was created in 2003 as a European response to the global health crisis caused by the three main poverty-related diseases (PRDs) of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Currently EDCTP is a partnership between 14 European Union member states plus Norway and Switzerland with 47 sub-Saharan African countries. The aim of the programme is to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines and microbicides against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through promoting the integration of national programmes of EDCTP European Member States and development of a genuine partnership with African counterparts.
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Note to the editor:
For further information, please contact:
G.O. van de Klashorst
Phone: +31 (0)70 344 0885
Email: media[at]edctp.org