● HIV Vaccines Trial Network: http://www.hvtn.org

● International AIDS Vaccine Initiative: http://www.iavi.org

With clinical trials of HIV vaccines now underway, how can you keep up to date with the progress and inevitable setbacks? We found two websites that provide the latest news, together with essential background information on HIV-vaccine development.

The HIV Vaccines Trial Network (HVTN), which was established in 1999 by the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is a worldwide network of research institutes and clinical-trial centres that aims to develop and test preventive HIV vaccines. The HVTN website contains links to the latest news stories and clear information on the challenges of HIV-vaccine development. HVTN vaccine trials that are underway and in the pipeline are also listed, although there are no progress reports posted yet.

The website of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) — a global organization that works to promote the development and distribution of preventive AIDS vaccines — offers a broader perspective. For example, it covers issues such as education and advocacy; accelerating scientific progress; encouraging industrial participation in AIDS-vaccine development; and assuring global access. On this website, you can find up-to-date HIV news, and current statistics on the scale of the problem. The site contains an easily searchable database of preventive vaccines that are currently under trial. Basic vaccine science and current vaccine strategies are clearly explained, and articles on social, economic, political and ethical issues make for a well-rounded site.