New Phase 1 Trial for HIV Vaccine

Gary Snyder, HIV Prevention, Erie County Department of Health

It's been over 40 years since the first cases of HIV were reported here in the United States, and scientific advances are pushing toward more breakthroughs in HIV prevention. While there have been significant improvements in care for persons with HIV, prevention continues to be a challenge. COVID-19 brought to the forefront decades of research and work done to address not only HIV / AIDS but other diseases as well. For many people, mRNA is a new concept yet it was discovered in the 1960s. In the 1990s the first mRNA vaccine for influenza was tested. Jump ahead to 2020 with over two and a half decades of continuous research, the COVID-19 global pandemic presents a prime opportunity to utilize a new instrument in the toolkit of mitigating a global health crisis. mRNA vaccines have proven they are effective and just might herald a new chapter in health prevention, specifically for HIV.

Now it's 2022 and mRNA is being studied to limit and potentially end the spread of HIV. While not a cure, a vaccine that keeps HIV from spreading could become a serious mechanism in prevention efforts. Moderna [one of the makers of COVID-19 vaccines] along with the IAVI [International AIDS Vaccine Initiative] announced in January 2022 the launch of a Phase 1 trial [IAVI G002] with a focus in researching B-cell responses in our immune systems. This could lead to the development of vaccines in the future that help our bodies neutralize some strains of HIV. This may not seem like a game winning move but it is important to understand that advances are continuing toward stopping the spread of HIV. This Phase 1 trial underway is being administered by the George Washington University [GWU] School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., and made possible by funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Further details can be found online at: https://tinyurl.com/IAVIG002