The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
A LEADING research institution in the United States of America has called off an HIV vaccine trial that was underway in South Africa after it was proven that the vaccine does not prevent contracting HIV.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) made the announcement last week in a statement.
“The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has stopped administration of vaccines in its HVTN 702 clinical trial of an investigational HIV vaccine,” read the communication.
The study, which was being done in South Africa where the pandemic is most widespread, began in 2016. It was testing if the vaccine showed any protection from contracting HIV.
“An HIV vaccine is essential to end the global pandemic and we hoped that the vaccine candidate would work. Regrettably it does not. Research continues on other approaches to a safe and effective HIV vaccine which I still believe can be achieved,” said NIAID director Mr Antony Fauci.
The study enrolled 5 407 sexually active, HIV negative volunteers, both male and female between the ages of 18 and 35 across 14 sites in South Africa. The participants received six injections over a period of 18 months and underwent safety procedures.
On 23 January an interim analysis was done. Data was examined from 2 694 volunteers who received the investigational vaccine regiment and 2 689 who received the placebo injection. The analysis was done to look at how many participants were diagnosed with HIV after the last 60 percent of the participants had been under study for more than 18 months, regarded as enough time for the vaccines to stimulate an immune response.
“In this analysis, 129 HIV infections occurred among the vaccine recipients and 123 occurred among the placebo recipients. Based on these findings, the DSBM concluded that the investigational vaccines had not shown any efficacy. The DSBM recommended that no further vaccinations be administered and that participants remain in the study follow up. The report also noted that there was no significant evidence of either decreased or increased infection rates with vaccination,” he added.
Other researches that are underway include the Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) study of which Zimbabwe is one of the 11 countries participating. This study involves intravenously delivering investigational antibody for preventing HIV. This trial investigates broadly neutralising antibodies that can protect against HIV and the trials are testing and investigational long acting antiretroviral drugs for HIV prevention. Other interventions include implants, vaginal rings and other multi-purpose products that offer both contraception and HIV prevention.
