After eight years of research, two South African developed HIV vaccines
are to become the first African vaccines to undergo human clinical
trials in the United States.
The South African Aids Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI), which is a programme
of the Medical Research Council (MRC) and is supported by the South
African government, announced that the first phase of safety trials
will begin in Boston, USA this week.
The vaccines were developed at the University of Cape Town's Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM) with funding from SAAVI and the US National Institute for Health. Both vaccines are based on HIV subtype C which is the dominant strain circulating in southern Africa, where the global AIDS pandemic is highly prevalent.
"This clinical trial represents a milestone for South Africa, as one of the few developing countries to have developed an HIV vaccine and progressed it into human clinical trials," says Prof. Anthony Mbewu, President of the MRC.
"It is progress in the search for an HIV vaccine which would provide the best chance to halt the global HIV epidemic; as well as a significant step in South Africa's growing competence in complex vaccine development," he added.
The trial called SAAVI 102/HVTN 073 will involve 12 participants in the US and a further 36 participants from South Africa. These trials will take place in January next year with participants from the Western Cape and Gauteng.
Anna-Lise Williamson, SAAVI product development director at IIDMM, says that the aim of the vaccine is to prime the body to recognise the HI virus and to therefore speed up the immune system response. "At best the vaccine will stop infections, but it is more likely that it will slow the progression of the disease."
Williamson adds that the vaccines could also lower the viral load of an infected person thus lowering the possibility of transmission.
The vaccines will have to undergo three trial phases before they can be deemed successful, a process that could take between five to eight years.
"SAAVI is extremely gratified that these test HIV vaccines are entering human clinical trials," says the Interim Director of SAAVI, Elise Levendal. "However, there is still a long way to go before we will know if these products will be in any way successful in preventing HIV infection."
