The first clinical trial on the effectiveness of AIDS vaccines started in South Africa

The National Institutes of Health announced on the 28th that the first AIDS vaccine effectiveness clinical trial (http://) has been launched in South Africa since 2009. As the sponsor of this trial, the agency hopes that the tested AIDS vaccine combination can be completed. A "fatal blow" to HIV.

The US National Institutes of Health issued a statement on the same day that the AIDS vaccine combination called HVTN 702 consists of a vaccine that stimulates the immune system and a vaccine that enhances the immune response. Researchers will recruit 5,400 adults aged 18 to 35 years with high risk of infection (http://) in 15 sites in South Africa to participate in the trial. This is the largest AIDS vaccine clinical trial ever conducted in South Africa.

Anthony Fudge, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under the National Institutes of Health, said: "If used in conjunction with other proven AIDS prevention tools in our existing arsenal, a safe and effective vaccine will It is possible to complete a fatal blow to HIV. Even moderately effective vaccines will significantly reduce the burden on countries with high rates of HIV infection, such as South Africa."

HVTN 702 was improved from the HIV vaccine RV144 that completed clinical trials in Thailand in 2009. During the three-and-a-half-year clinical trial, the effectiveness of RV144 was 31%, making it the first AIDS vaccine to provide protection for some people. Researchers hope that HVTN 702 can provide more effective and lasting protection than RV144.

The HVTN 702 was adapted to the prevalent HIV subtypes in southern Africa. Each participant was vaccinated five times a year and randomized to vaccination or placebo. The results are expected to be announced in the second half of 2020.

Previously, a small study involving more than 200 people has demonstrated that HVTN 702 can be safely used in humans.