Cape Town - A clinical trial for an HIV vaccine that was one of three being tested in South Africa in the hope that it might potentially prevent the disease has been stopped.
The US National Institutes of Health has announced that its HVTN 702 clinical trial of an HIV vaccine has been stopped.
While no safety concerns were found during the trial, the independent data and safety monitoring board found the vaccine was ineffective in preventing HIV transmission.
The trial, conducted at 14 sites across South Africa, followed more than 5400 HIV-negative 18 to 35-year-olds over 18 months. The participants received six injections during the six-month period, either the vaccine or a placebo.
An analysis undertaken after at least 60% of the participants had been in the study for more than 18 months showed that there were 129 HIV infections among the people who had the vaccine, while 123 people who had the placebo became infected.
UNAids executive director Winnie Byanyima said: “While we are obviously disappointed with the results, important science has been learnt that can be carried forward to future trials. I thank the study team for this important vaccine trial.”
Other major vaccines are being tested at scale - the Mosaico trial, which is testing a vaccine among transgender people and gay men and other men who have sex with men in the Americas and in Europe, and the Imbokodo trial, which is testing a vaccine among women in sub-Saharan Africa. An effective HIV vaccine may well prove to be key for sustaining progress against HIV in the future.
UNAids said: “Despite considerable investment in prevention during the trial, there was still an HIV incidence of around 4% a year among the women in the trial. This is simply too high.”