HIV Vaccine Trials In Thailand

[Pheromone]

Here's a brand new article and news story on CNN about a vaccine trial in Thailand for HIV. Very, very promising news.....

 

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/24/hiv.vaccine/

 

Combo vaccine reduces risk of HIV infection, researchers say

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

 

New vaccine cut risk of HIV infection by 31 percent in world's largest HIV trial

Combination of prime, booster vaccines prove effective, researchers say

Researchers tested strains in Thailand; not known if vaccine would work elsewhere

 

(CNN) -- A vaccine to prevent HIV infection has shown modest results for the first time, researchers have found.

 

 

Researchers found those who received the vaccine combination were 31 percent less likely to contract HIV.

 

In what is being called the world's largest HIV vaccine trial ever, researchers found that people who received a series of inoculations of a prime vaccine and booster vaccine were 31 percent less likely to get HIV, compared with those on a placebo.

 

"Before this study, it was thought vaccine for HIV is not possible," Col. Jerome Kim, who is the HIV vaccines product manager for the U.S. Army, told CNN.

 

Kim emphasized that the level of efficacy was modest, but given the failures of previous HIV vaccine trials, "yesterday we would have thought an HIV vaccine wasn't possible."

 

He called the results from the trial an important first step that will help researchers work toward a more effective vaccine.

 

Researchers have tried to prevent the spread of HIV since they discovered its cause in 1986. Previous vaccine trials failed to prevent infection. And during one trial, the vaccine seemed to boost the chance of being infected, which ended testing early.

 

The new study was conducted in Thailand, with more than 16,000 people between ages 18 and 30 participating. They were all HIV negative at the beginning of the trial.

 

Nearly 8,200 received a placebo and a similar number received a combination of six vaccines over six months. All were followed for three years.

 

"This shows a statistically significant effect," Kim said.

 

He cautioned that a lot more research was necessary, because the vaccine did not prevent everyone from being infected.

 

Fifty-one people in the vaccine group eventually contracted HIV, compared with 74 in the placebo group.

 

"These results show that development of a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine is possible," said Col. Nelson Michael, who is director of the U.S. military HIV research program.

 

The combination of vaccines tested targeted strains circulating in Thailand. It was unclear how the vaccines would work elsewhere, Kim said.

 

Researchers will announce details of their initial findings in October at the AIDS Vaccine Conference in Paris, France.

 

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

 

According to Kim, the U.S. military was involved in the study because U.S. service members are at risk and "there's a national security threat from HIV."

 

He said Congress set up a program to protect service members from HIV and the U.S. military has collaborated with health officials and researchers in Thailand for a long time.

 

The vaccines are manufactured by Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases and Sanofi Pasteur. The Thai Ministry of Health carried out the clinical trial.

Edited September 24, 2009 by SoCo MoFo

[pipeman350]

saw bit about it on bbc world news ticker tape would be nice if leads to effective vaccine as untold misery would be prevented but no good for drugs companies selling aids meds

[fostraswift]

Fifty-one people in the vaccine group eventually contracted HIV, compared with 74 in the placebo group

 

interesting...the vaccine group, how did they do that?

[bocelli27]

Even more good news for the gay community is that the vaccine had to be ingested anally.

[QuotaMan]

It's encouraging news as other vaccines seemed to fail.

 

However, the bad side to this is that it can only embolden those who engage in relatively risky sexual behaviors to continue doing so. Their reasoning being, it can't be too far from an eventual cure, or something along those lines that justify in their minds that not only are the odds against them catching anything, but that if they do, medications and whatnot will 'cure' them.

[deadwood]

It's encouraging news as other vaccines seemed to fail.

 

However, the bad side to this is that it can only embolden those who engage in relatively risky sexual behaviors to continue doing so. Their reasoning being, it can't be too far from an eventual cure, or something along those lines that justify in their minds that not only are the odds against them catching anything, but that if they do, medications and whatnot will 'cure' them.

 

it indeed seems to be encouraging news though it's just in the very preliminary stages of actually having a credible vaccine. many mongers and those in the gay community have shown cavalier attitudes towards unprotected sex because of the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs but this vaccine shows no signs of being effective for those already infected.

 

...But Jonathan Weber, a professor of communicable diseases and an HIV expert at Imperial College in London, says the consistency of the viral load across the placebo and vaccine groups was not a surprise. "It's a fair assumption that this vaccine works through antibody production," he says. "We've known for years that antibodies don't seem to affect the course of an HIV infection. Antibodies can be preventive, but they can't modify the disease."

[deadwood]

oops. dbl. post

Edited September 25, 2009 by deadwood

[Pheromone]

It's not a cure, but if they can create a solid vaccine, HIV will disappear like so many other infectious diseases in the past, polio, etc...

[Al.]

There is another thread running on this subject perhaps they should me merged anyhow after conducting some research of my own this is my take on it.

 

A vaccine that will prevent you from becoming infected and a cure are two completely different things if an effective vaccine ever becomes available giving it to someone already infected will not necessarily cure them.

 

This vaccine trial a combination of two previously failed vaccines whilst showing promise is not nearly as effective as it needs to be as an actual vaccine.

 

What it does do and this is where it was a success is demonstrate for the first time that a vaccine may be possible and provide more material for research.

 

51 people receiving the vaccine as against 74 receiving the placebo still became infected while the reduction is significant and a step in the right direction there's still a long way to go.

 

For an HIV vaccine to work one would presume it would have to stimulate both parts of the immune system the antibodies that look for invaders such as viruses to neutralize them, and the T cells that recognize and destroy them.

 

This vaccine did not appear to generate either response, and yet “apparently” cut the infection rate 30 percent. (it is just possible there were other factors involved)

 

What apparently is not yet understood is why in the ones who were vaccinated and became infected the virus reproduced and progressed just as it would normally. Usually a vaccine would at least make the infection less serious.

 

Lets all hope one day there will be a real breakthrough that will produce both a cure and preventative vaccine.

 

Al.

[QuotaMan]

it indeed seems to be encouraging news though it's just in the very preliminary stages of actually having a credible vaccine. many mongers and those in the gay community have shown cavalier attitudes towards unprotected sex because of the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs but this vaccine shows no signs of being effective for those already infected.

 

Great point. I remember reading a while ago the alarming rise in HIV infections in the San Francisco gay community after it seemed to be effectively dealt with. What was happening was that apparently people felt the current medical treatment and medical progress on this disease was enough for them to think that getting infected was no big deal.

 

And thanks for the additional clarification AI.

[Pheromone]

[alarsaa]

lets hope for the best, i hate the condomsssssss so muchhhhhhhhh

[valleyboy]

I think it's a load of bullshit.They didn't exactly give vaccine's and placebo's to people and then tell them to go out and have sex with HIV positive people to see what the result would be.So how can the results be accurate.

[Devil Plaything]

I think it's a load of bullshit.They didn't exactly give vaccine's and placebo's to people and then tell them to go out and have sex with HIV positive people to see what the result would be.So how can the results be accurate.

 

That's more or less what they did, except it was just "have the sex you'd normally have and we'll take a large enough sample for behavioural (and other) variations to average out". How do you think they test any vaccine?

[Falang Sap]

Even more good news for the gay community is that the vaccine had to be ingested anally.

 

Congrats!!!

I was wondering why there are two male skeletons in your avatar...

[valleyboy]

That's more or less what they did, except it was just "have the sex you'd normally have and we'll take a large enough sample for behavioural (and other) variations to average out". How do you think they test any vaccine?

Give examples of other vaccines.HIV leads to AIDS if not treated and AIDS WILL kill you.Vaccine trials are conducted the world over every day,but they don't say to the participants,"by the way now you have had the HIV vaccine we are going to inject you with HIV to see if you catch it"

It is done under very strict conditions,not random chance as this test seems to have been done.