PHA-Exchange> Fw: HIV Vaccine Trial On Humans Begins

[Claudio]

> From: "Dieter Neuvians MD" <neuvians at mweb.co.za>
> > 
> > HIV Vaccine Trial On Humans Begins
> > ----------------------------------
> > 
> > Source: U.N.Wire
> > http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20031104/449_10072.asp
> >  
> > Tuesday, November 4, 2003 
> >  
> > Trials of an experimental HIV vaccine will begin on 24 human vol-
> > unteers in South Africa, where 4.7 million people, or 11 percent 
> > of the population, are HIV-positive, Associated Press reported 
> > yesterday:
> > http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/11/03/safrica.aids.vaccine.ap/index.html
> >  
> > The treatment, which is also being tested in the United States, 
> > is one of about two dozen potential vaccines being tested on 
> > about 12,000 human volunteers worldwide. 
> >  
> > "An HIV vaccine is our best hope of eradicating HIV from the 
> > globe," said Tim Tucker, head of the South African AIDS Vaccine 
> > Initiative (http://www.saavi.org.za/). "It is an extremely excit-
> > ing time."
> >  
> > The treatment is the only one that contains genetic material from 
> > the HIV strain most prevalent in South Africa, and scientists 
> > hope that by entering human cells, it will stimulate the produc-
> > tion of antibodies that will fight off AIDS infections, AP said. 
> >  
> > The first phase of the trials, aimed at establishing the safety 
> > of the drug, are expected to last two years, but it could be 10 
> > years before an effective vaccine is ready for distribution, 
> > Tucker said (AP/CNN.com, Nov. 3).
> 
>