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April 5, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"AIDS Vaccine Moves Ahead in Trials"

Reuters (www.reuters.com) (04/04/02); Fox, Maggie

An AIDS vaccine currently being tested by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Britain's Medical Research Council appears to have worked safely in the initial group of people studied and is headed for further testing, according to IAVI chief Dr. Seth Berkeley.  If the larger-scale trial--which will involve 100 volunteers--is successful, he estimates the vaccine could be fast tracked to the final or third testing stage during the next two-and-a-half years prior to licensing.  The vaccine was developed after studies were made of the immune systems of Kenyan prostitutes who seemed to remain immune for years against HIV despite repeated exposure to infected men.  The women had an unusually high level of CD8 T-cells, which kill viral invaders; the vaccine is designed to elicit the same CD8 response in the hope that it will protect people against HIV.

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