By Paul Erewuba
AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Centre (AVAC), an international non-profit organisation, has urged HIV vaccine researchers not to relent in efforts in discovering an effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS, despite the failed ‘Imbokodo’ trial.
A vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson (J&J), dubbed Imbokodo, offered no convincing protection against HIV infection in the trial, which began in 2017 and involved 2,600 women in South Africa and four neighbouring countries.
AVAC’s Executive Director, Mitchell Warren, reacting to the failed Imbokodo trial, said it was very disappointing that this particular vaccine did not work during its trial, despite the trial being well-conducted.
Warren said HIV remained a global threat, and that a safe, efficacious and accessible HIV vaccine was needed to curb new infections and provide a durable end to the pandemic.
He said the Imbokodo failed trial, was in no way the end of the search for HIV vaccine, and that there was still hope for a positive outcome from ongoing Mosaico and PrEPVacc studies.
Warren called on donors, research groups and industries to join in strategic discussions with civil society and trial communities to map out a comprehensive strategy for the future of HIV vaccine research, product development and selection, and trial designs.
AVAC’s Director of Research Engagement, Stacey Hannah, said hope must not be lost in the drive to discovering an effective vaccine.