A trial of an experimental vaccine across Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa has been prematurely stopped due to preliminary data indicating its ineffectiveness in preventing infection, according to the trial’s chief investigator.
The trial, a part of the broader PrEPVacc initiative, commenced in December 2020, enrolling 1,512 healthy adults aged 18-40, with an originally planned conclusion in 2024.
Pontiano Kaleebu, the chief investigator for the program, revealed that the independent data and safety monitoring committee recommended discontinuation as continued efforts were unlikely to demonstrate the vaccine’s efficacy.
What you should know
HIV, a virus that has claimed around 40 million lives globally, with an additional 39 million individuals living with the virus, predominantly in Africa, continues to pose challenges in the search for a vaccine.
Although there are drugs available to reduce HIV risk and control the virus, a vaccine remains a crucial tool in curbing AIDS as a public health threat.
The trial, led by African researchers and supported by various European institutions, including Imperial College London, explored two combinations of experimental HIV vaccines.
Additionally, it tested a new form of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug mitigating HIV risk, aiming to assess its efficacy compared to existing drugs. While the vaccine trial was unsuccessful, the PrEP segment of the trial remains ongoing.
Most participants were sourced from high-risk populations, including sex workers, gay men, and fishermen. The outcome underscores the formidable challenges in developing an effective HIV vaccine, as acknowledged in a statement by the vaccine trial program.
It’s worth noting that this trial was the sole remaining active HIV vaccine efficacy trial globally.
In a similar development in 2020, South African researchers terminated another trial involving over 5,000 participants after a vaccine failed to demonstrate benefits.
HIV in Nigeria
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s report showed that Nigeria has 1.9 million people with HIV/AIDS making Nigeria the country with the highest number of HIV infections in Africa.
According to the Lancet, Benue State has the highest prevalence followed by Rivers and Akwa Ibom.
