The first trial of two combination vaccines for HIV in Africa has been halted after researchers determined that the drugs were not effective. The vaccines were being tested on 1,500 participants aged between 18 and 40 in Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa. This trial, known as the PrEPVacc study, began in December 2020, but it was stopped last month after an interim review of the progress.
The trial was a groundbreaking effort as it combined the evaluation of experimental HIV vaccines with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This marked the first time such a combination was tested. Despite the halt in the vaccine trial, the trial for the PrEP pill will continue.
The vaccines were being tested to determine their efficacy in reducing the risk of acquiring HIV, but an analysis of the data collected by the independent data-monitoring committee led to the conclusion that there was little or no chance of demonstrating their effectiveness.
Dr. Eugene Ruzagira, the trial director from the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and assistant professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, stated, “Vaccinations to PrEPVacc trial participants have been stopped because an analysis of the data collected so far by our independent data-monitoring committee has led them to conclude that there is little or no chance of demonstrating that the vaccines we are testing are reducing the risk of acquiring HIV.”
Funded with a €15 million ($16.18 million) grant from the EU’s European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, the PrEPVacc trials were designed to test two different combinations of HIV to determine their efficacy in preventing infection, particularly in populations at high risk. Despite the setback in the vaccine trial, ongoing research and efforts in the field remain critical for addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and globally.
Post Your Comments