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news.Study shows effectiveness in preventing HIV
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Sanofi Pasteur has approved the results of the collaborative HIV vaccine trial that has been conducted in Thailand over the past six years. The phase III clinical trial involving more than 16,000 adult volunteers in Thailand has demonstrated that an investigational HIV vaccine regimen was safe and modestly effective in preventing HIV infection.
According to the final results by the trial sponsor – the US Army Surgeon General – the prime-boost combination of ALVAC HIV and AIDSVAX B/E vaccines lowered the rate of HIV infection by 31.2% compared with placebo. The comprehensive results will be presented by the lead clinical investigator on October 20, 2009 at AIDS Vaccine 2009 in Paris.
Michel DeWilde, senior vice president of R&D at Sanofi Pasteur, said: “Albeit modest, the reduction of risk of HIV infection is statistically significant. This is the first concrete evidence, since the discovery of the virus in 1983, that a vaccine against HIV is eventually feasible. Further work is required to develop and test a vaccine suitable for licensure and worldwide use. Sanofi Pasteur is committed to continuing to engage in public-private partnerships to drive the scientific agenda and build on this very
important milestone.”
Christopher Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi-Aventis, said: “HIV is bigger than any one company and country. Sanofi Pasteur will continue its long-standing commitment to HIV vaccine research and development efforts by partnering with academia, governments, non-governmental organisations, and other vaccine companies to progress the science, so that one day we will be able to provide access to HIV vaccines to people who need them.”
The HIV vaccine trial was executed by the Thai Ministry of Public Health and included a team of leading Thai and US researchers. The official sponsor of this trial was the US Army Surgeon General via the US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity. ALVAC HIV, the prime vaccine, is developed by Sanofi Pasteur. AIDSVAX B/E, the booster vaccine used in the trial, is developed by VaxGen.