http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa...,68437,00.html HIV vaccine trials start in SA
November 03, 2003, 03:30 PM
The South African Aids Vaccine Initiative (Saavi) has announced the start of two separate HIV vaccine trials in South Africa. Addressing a press conference in Johannesburg today, Tim Tucker, a Saavi director, said phase one of the clinical trial of the Alpha Vax would commence in Johannesburg and Durban next week and would assess the safety and immune system responses induced by the new vaccine.
Alpha Vax is one of two vaccines approved earlier this year for phase one testing by the Medicines Control Council. The second trial involves a modified vaccinia ankara sponsored by the International Aids Vaccine Initiative which will also commence in the next few weeks.
Estyhia Vardas, an HIV researcher said 55 volunteers would participate in the South African trials. She said the vaccines were already undergoing testing in the United Kingdom and Kenya. Vardas said the South African tests would also help establish dosage as well as the best way to administer the vaccine. Saavi was established as a public-private partnership in 1999 in order to find a vaccine for HIV/Aids. - Sapa