HIV vaccine trials to start in SA

[dArKeR]

The South African Aids Vaccine Initiative (Saavi) announced on Monday that the first vaccinations will take place this week for the first human clinical trial of an HIV vaccine in South Africa.

Addressing a press conference in Johannesburg, Saavi director Dr Tim Tucker said two separate clinical trials would start in Johannesburg and Durban this week and next.

"This is an incredibly exciting time," Tucker said.

Tucker and a panel of experts explained that the first medication on trial was the AlphaVax replicon Vector (ArV) clade C candidate HIV-1 vaccine.

Phase I of the trials would assess the safety and immune system responses induced by the vaccine technology.

The trial involves volunteers in the United States and South Africa. The first 12 US volunteers received their vaccinations in July.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=23032

Cross your fingers!

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Oh, Dear.

This reminds me of a John Le Carre plot.