The clinical trial for an HIV vaccine ended in disappointment as the vaccine failed to prevent HIV infections that leads to AIDS.
The clinical trial was going on in South Africa under the sponsorship of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). But after an independent data and safety monitoring board found the vaccine failed to prevent HIV infections, NIAID on Monday announced that they have halted the trial. NIAID also noted that the board hasn’t raised any concerns about safety.
As the vaccine study has halted, the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise expressed deep disappointment. Although the failure is a significant setback, scientists will continue their hunt for the HIV vaccine.
The rates of HIV infection in this area continue to be disproportionate, requiring greater urgency for investigation and global attention and investment, said Linda-Gail Bekker, chair of the Enterprise Advisory Group and immediate past president of the International AIDS Society.
The clinical trial of HIV vaccine HVTN 702 or Uhambo began in South Africa in 2016, enrolling 5407 HIV negative volunteers at 14 sites. The vaccine or placebo injections were given to randomly chosen sexually active men and women between 18 to 35. The analysis showed no difference in HIV infections among volunteers in the placebo group versus the vaccine group. NIAID reported that 123 infections occurred among the placebo group while 129 occurred among vaccine groups. All the volunteers are being informed about the trial stopping and scientists will continue to study the volunteers over time.
This is not the first time approaches to prevent HIV are being investigated. The National Institutes of Health has invested in two other multinational, late-stage HIV vaccine trials. Both trials are testing a novel vaccine regimen. According to research published in July by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a daily pill to prevent HIV infection called PrEP rose almost 500% was being tested from 2014 to 2017 in the United States.
Alex Azar, the US Health and Human Services Secretary announced the launch of a national program to provide free HIV-prevention drugs to uninsured adults in the United States in December.