| Abstract: | Three-year Phase III AIDS vaccine trials are underway at approximately 50 sites for AIDSVAX, one of the most promising vaccines. This vaccine is a genetically engineered compound developed by VaxGen, and is made from a copy of a protein on the surface of HIV. It contains no HIV DNA, so there is no chance the vaccine would cause infection. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will enroll 5,000 people who do not have HIV-1 infection but are at risk of acquiring it through sexual contact. So far, study volunteers have reported no allergic reactions, and the participation level has remained high. Volunteers receive seven shots over a 3-year period, and they have blood work done 14 days after each injection to assess their tolerability to the drug. They are tested for HIV infection at 6-month intervals. Research on the vaccine began in 1984, with the initial clinical trials of a first-generation vaccine beginning in 1992. Researchers are hopeful that AIDSVAX, or another vaccine, will become as common as other immunizations given to children. |
