Human trial of second AIDS vaccine soon

[Guest guest]

Human trial of second AIDS vaccine soon

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: India will soon begin human trials of a second HIV/AIDS

vaccine at the Tuberculosis Research Centre in Chennai.

Announcing this at the award presentation of the Indian Council of

Medical Research (ICMR) here on Tuesday, Union Health and Family

Welfare Minister A. Ramadoss said trials of the indigenously

developed Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) would start by the end of

August or the beginning of September. The vaccine is specifically

meant for the strain found in Indians. The Indian Council of Medical

Research, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Tuberculosis

Research Centre and International AIDS Vaccine Initiative will

jointly undertake the initiative.

The new MVA gene vaccine has six genes to generate an immune

response against the virus and has produced good immunogenic

response in primates. The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric

Diseases (NICED) in Kolkata has contributed to the isolation of the

viral gene.

Mr. Ramadoss said the second dose of the anti-AIDS Adeno-Associated

Vaccine (AAV) virus would be administered on 10 persons a month. The

toxicity test on 10 persons in the first phase that began in

February had shown that it was absolutely safe, he said.

http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/06/stories/2005070601391400.htm