Phase III HIV vaccine trial in Thailand: a step toward a protective vaccine for HIV

Abstract

The large human efficacy trail in Thailand, RV144, was concluded in the summer of 2009. This is the first Phase III trial to show limited, but significant, efficacy in preventing HIV acquisition. This trial represents the first sign that a preventive vaccine for HIV may be feasible. The vaccine regimen tested in Thailand consisted of priming with a Canarypox vector carrying three synthetic HIV genes. The priming was followed by booster inoculations with two recombinant envelope proteins from HIV, clade B and E. The need to understand the role in protection from HIV acquisition of the new responses, induced by this vaccine combination, has brought together many researchers with the common goal of improving the development of a safe and effective vaccine for HIV.

Keywords::

• gp120
• HIV
• neutralizing antibodies
• Phase III
• prime–boost
• T-cell responses
• vaccine trial

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Shari Gordon for critical reading of the manuscript and to Teresa Habina for editing.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The US Government holds patent rights on the vaccine used in the RV144 trial. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No funding for writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Notes

Data from [102].