Oxford University has launched a phase I clinical trial of a new mosaic vaccine targeting a wide range of HIV variants.
The HIV-CORE 0052 study, part of the European Aids Vaccine Initiative, involves 13 healthy HIV-uninfected adults, aged 18 to 65, who are not at high risk of infection. Participants will receive one dose of the vaccine - known as HIVconsvX - followed by another booster dose after four weeks.
HIVconsvX, unlike other HIV vaccine candidates that aim to induce antibodies generated by B cells, is designed to induce T cells of the immune system. "An effective HIV vaccine has been unobtainable for 40 years. This study is the first in a series evaluating a new vaccination strategy in both HIV-uninfected people (for prevention) and people living with HIV (for cure)," - said Tomáš Hanke, Principal Investigator and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford.
So far, the target set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016 of fewer than 500,000 new infections per year by 2020 has not been met. "Even in the broader context of scaling up antiretroviral treatment and prevention, the HIV-1 vaccine remains the best solution and probably a key component of any strategy to end the AIDS epidemic," - Hanke added.
The initial trial of the study will take place in the UK. The researchers also plan to start similar trials in Africa and the United States. The results of the HIV-CORE 0052 trial will be reported by April 2022.
Source: medexpress.co.uk