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Published online 24 September 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.947
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Vaccine protects against HIV virus
A two-shot combo reduces the risk of HIV infection.
The largest HIV vaccine trial to date has shown moderate success at preventing infection by the virus.
The experimental vaccine — a combination of two older shots that failed to work on their own — reduced the risk of someone contracting HIV by nearly a third.
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Sounds all very intriguing. On the other hand, although it seems the numbers are statistically significant, at a first look (for a person like me which is not familiar with these trials at all) those numbers (51 vs 74) do not seem that strikingly different. I know the groups were big (8,198 each) but if the sexual behaviour of a few participants is different from one group to another I guess this could affect notably the results with have such a small number of positives. I guess they have collected a lot of information about the participants and this could help to clarify these kind of matters.
Robustness of data collection and its evaluation on presentation will determine the efficacy extent, though small, still there is some effect for this candidate at least. Possibly the observed ffects were through humoral arm only, however, will any agency try the same path for other more prevalent subtypes e.g., HIV-1 sub type C; doubtful.
Nature Nature, Nature..."HIV virus"?? Please!! After all my training of my students to say "HIV" or "HI virus", and there in no less a jhournal than Nature, is the elementary mistake...for shame!!!
But the trial DOES give hope, albeit only a ray of it given the weak level of protection afforded the immunised. What it gives hope for is the use of poxvirus vectors, given that this is the difference between this and the earlier Thai trial – and seeing as there are several better and more immunogenic versions of these than the canarypox used here, the prospects of getting more effective vaccines are quite good.
And people ARE looking at Subtype C vaccines: the Phase I trial currently on the go in the USA and South Africa of the SAAVI DNA and MVA vaccines will, if it is proved that these are safe, presage a much more hopeful efficacy trial.
Hopefully....