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A nurse prepares a test dose of PrEPVacc to inject into participants on March 17, 2022 in Masaka, Uganda. The trial, scheduled to conclude by the end of 2024, tested two experimental HIV vaccines alongside a new form of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
CNN
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called the HIV vaccine trial in the last 10 years “The last roll of the dice” Vaccination was discontinued due to the disappointing results.
The PrEPVacc prevention study was led by African researchers with support from European scientists and was testing two experimental HIV vaccines alongside a new form of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
However, the leadership of PrEPVacc To tell Although there are “no concerns about the safety of the vaccine,” the trial for the vaccine portion is currently halted because it is not effective in preventing HIV. Continuing with the oral preparation component of the exam is recommended.
The experimental vaccine’s failure is a major blow to the medical community, which has experienced countless deadlocks since the first HIV vaccine trials began. 36 years ago.
Although new HIV infections have fallen dramatically since their peak in the mid-1990s, UNAIDS According to the latest data, 39 million people are currently living with the infection worldwide. More than half are women and girls, with young women and girls (15-24 years old) accounting for 77% of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa.
The medical community still does not have a working HIV vaccine, and one of the officials warned ahead of the trial that such research was unlikely to be conducted again until the 2030s.
The PrEPVacc trial studied 1,500 volunteer participants in Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa. 87% of participants were women.
Reflecting on the results, PrEPVacc principal investigator Pontiano Carib said in a statement that “we need to look to a new generation of vaccine approaches and technologies” and “a new generation of leaders.”
“Developing a vaccine to prevent HIV is an important goal for Africa. This goal must be even more urgent now that no HIV vaccine has been tested for effectiveness anywhere in the world,” Kareeb asserted. .
PrEPVacc director Dr. Eugene Ruzaguira agreed, saying that although the “scientific hurdles are high,” he is “equally hopeful that an HIV vaccine will one day be developed.”
“Important research like PrEPVacc is moving us forward, and our participants are happy to move forward with us and make a difference in the health of their communities,” Luzaguira said in a statement. He added that the trial enabled researchers to build positive relationships with important local communities.
Ruwano Jeffrey, the first trial participant from Masaka, Uganda, told CNN earlier this year that it took “a lot of courage” to take part in the study.
He said there was a lot of incipient misinformation within the community, and societal bias also compounded the problem.
Researchers say participants like Jeffrey now have a “deep appreciation for the community.”
Full results from the vaccine portion of the PrEPVacc trial are expected to be released in summer 2024, researchers said.