Posted on 09/21/2007 11:13:07 PM PDT by neverdem
A much-heralded H.I.V. vaccine has failed to work in a large clinical trial, dealing another serious setback to efforts to stop the AIDS epidemic.
The vaccine’s developer, Merck, said yesterday that it had halted test vaccinations after the vaccine failed to prevent infection or reduce the severity of infection among volunteers who became infected during the trial.
The trial was closely watched because experts considered the vaccine one of most promising to be tested on people so far.
This was also the first of a new class of H.I.V. vaccine to get this far in clinical trials. The failure of the vaccine raises questions about whether the new approach will work.
“This was viewed as the most promising strategy,” said Dr. Mark B. Feinberg, a vice president of Merck, “so I think it is a disappointment for us and a disappointment for everyone in the AIDS vaccine area.”
Dr. Feinberg and others said that the failure reinforced the view that H.I.V. is unlike any infection for which scientists have successfully developed a vaccine.
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which conducted the trial with Merck, said in an interview that “the results are obviously disappointing.”
But Dr. Fauci also said it was too soon to draw any broad conclusions about the potential of the new class. Merck said it would share its data with scientists.
Health officials deem development of an H.I.V. vaccine the most important tool they need to control the AIDS pandemic, which rivals the worst in history.
The only H.I.V. vaccine to have undergone full-scale testing was based on the traditional approach of stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against an infectious agent.
Because that vaccine failed, and similar vaccines also failed in earlier stages of testing...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Clinical Depression Linked To Abnormal Emotional Brain Circuits (DUmmies Explained)
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Can’t wait to hear reactions from all of those who think that AIDS became a pandemic because Ronald Reagan didn’t do enough to fight AIDS. Even though AIDS is largely spread by high risk behaviors, some gay activists charge that Reagan didn’t promote research into finding a cure, etc. etc.
And as we see here, finding a vaccine or cure for a disease is a very time consuming intense effort. You can’t just wipe out a disease because a president signs legislation for research and development. AIDS is a very tough disease process to fight against.
http://www.local6.com/health/14175721/detail.html
This article had some interesting percentages of those infected.
“Officials at the New Jersey-based company told The Associated Press that 3.2 percent, or 24 of 741 of those who got the vaccine got HIV; 2.8 percent, or 21 of 762 of those on a placebo got it.”
And...”The volunteers in the experiment were all free of HIV at the start. But they were at high risk for getting the virus: Most were homosexual men or female sex workers. They were all repeatedly counseled about how to reduce their risk of HIV infections, including use of condoms, according to Merck.”
Quick! Spray more of our money all over Africa!!
Dr. Feinberg and others said that the failure reinforced the view that H.I.V. is unlike any infection for which scientists have successfully developed a vaccine.I'm sure more money will solve the problems. Eventually. After everyone working on it today has a nice big house in the country.
A few years ago, I made a small investment in a company known as Vaxgen (VXGN). They, too, were working on an AIDS vaccine.
They got the trials as far as Phase II before the FDA gave ‘em the thumbs-down.
At one time, a bio-tech company known as Cel-Sci was working on an AIDS vaccine. They were working very closely with Jonas Salk, the inventor of the vaccine for polio. I believe he was gonna use a killed-strain version for his HIV vaccine. I haven’t heard much recently though.
Here’s the rest of the story. You need to read this, very disturbing:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102402514_pf.html
Warning Is Sent to AIDS Vaccine Volunteers
S. Africans Among Recipients Who May Be at Higher Risk of Contracting Virus
By Craig Timberg
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, October 25, 2007; A20
JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 24 — South African AIDS researchers have begun warning hundreds of volunteers that a highly touted experimental vaccine they received in recent months might make them more, not less, likely to contract HIV in the midst of one of the world’s most rampant epidemics.
The move stems from the discovery last month that an AIDS vaccine developed by Merck & Co. might have led to more infections than it averted among study subjects in the United States and other countries. Among those who received at least two doses of the vaccine, 19 contracted HIV compared with 11 of those given placebos.
Researchers shut down the trial on the grounds that the vaccine was proving ineffective, but the surge in infection among vaccinated volunteers prompted intense scientific debate and anxiety among researchers. The failure of the Merck vaccine is the latest in a series of disappointing results for research projects aimed at curbing AIDS.
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