A brand new HIV vaccine is set to launch in South Africa and this will be the country's biggest and most advanced clinical trial on the vaccine. Scientists say that if the test would be a success, it would be the final nail in the coffin for the killer virus.
According to Live Science, the study is called HVTN 702. The study aims for a new HIV vaccine to be tested, which sets a goal to enroll 5,400 men and women who are active in sexual intercourse ages 18-35 at 15 different sites throughout South Africa, reports Time. Data shows that South Africa has more than 1,000 people a day who get infected with HIV.
Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. government's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said that if this clinical trial turns out well with their current weapon of proven HIV prevention tools, it would be a triumph in fighting HIV. "Even a moderately effective vaccine would significantly decrease the burden of HIV disease over time in countries and populations with high rates of HIV infection, such as South Africa," he said in a statement.
The new HIV vaccine that will be in clinical trial in the HVTN 702 study is based on a test in Thailand in 2009, which scientists found it to be 31.2 percent effective. This was discovered in the proceedings after the vaccination in over 3.5 years.
Providing better and more sustained protection is the goal of the brand new HIV vaccine and this has been accustomed to the HIV subtype, which dominates in South Africa. Glenda Gray, chief executive officer of the South African Medical Research Council, said that HIV has taken an overwhelming toll in the country but they have started a scientific exploration, which would be promising to every South African.
The volunteers of the HVTN 702 study are randomly assigned to get either a placebo or the vaccine regimen and all partakers will get five injections over a year. Local media providers will house those who got infected with HIV for care and treatment with counselling.