On behalf of IFARA, Fred Schaich spoke with Glenda Gray, MBBCH, F.C.Paed (SA), about HIV vaccine research presented at this year's International AIDS Conference. An upcoming vaccine study in South Africa is based on the RV144 Thai trial that showed the moderate efficacy of a combination of two preventive HIV vaccines. That compound was refined in order to target the specific variation of HIV common in South Africa, clade C. In addition, the vaccine's durability and potency were enhanced by combining a prevalent strain of the virus from a chronically HIV-infected South African and a viral envelope from an acutely infected person in the same country. Modeling studies for this upcoming placebo-controlled clinical trial estimate a 50% efficacy rate for the vaccine. One of the goals of this research is to better understand why some people acquire HIV despite being vaccinated. This means learning about how the virus genetically modifies itself in order to overcome the vaccine. Beyond studying whether the vaccine will provide a sufficient number of people with protection against the virus, there are real-world problems to overcome, Gray said. For one, the compound must be refrigerated, which can be problematic in Sub-Saharan Africa. The frequency of vaccine administration also presents a problem when trying to scale up its use.
Watch the video to learn more:
About the panelist:
Glenda Gray, MBBCH, F.C.Paed (SA), HIV Vaccine Trials Network
The video above has been posted on TheBodyPRO.com with permission from our partners at the International Foundation for Alternative Research in AIDS (IFARA). Visit IFARA's website or YouTube channel to watch more video interviews from the conference, as well as earlier meetings.
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