Sep. 24, 2009 (United Press International) -- Trial data on 16,000 adult participants in Thailand shows a human immunodeficiency virus vaccine is safe and 31 percent effective, U.S. researchers say.
The Thai Phase III HIV vaccine study, also known as RV144, began October 2003. The placebo-controlled trial tested the safety and effectiveness of two vaccines: ALVAC-HIV vaccine -- the primer dose that is a modified canarypox vaccine developed by Sanofi Pasteur, based in Lyon, France -- and AIDSVAX B/E vaccine -- the booster dose that is a glycoprotein 120 vaccine developed by Vaxgen Inc. (OTCBB:VXGN) and now licensed to Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, based in South San Francisco.
The vaccines are based on the subtype B and E HIV strains that commonly circulate in Thailand. The subtype B HIV strain is the one most commonly found in the United States.
"These new findings represent an important step forward in HIV vaccine research," Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which provided major funding and other support for the study, said in a statement.
"For the first time, an investigational HIV vaccine has demonstrated some ability to prevent HIV infection among vaccinated individuals."
More information about the Thai Phase III HIV vaccine trial is at www.hivresearch.org.
