Phase-I trials of AIDS vaccine over

[Guest guest]

Phase-I trials of AIDS vaccine over

ICMR: Officials say vaccine successful on healthy people, result

expected in a month

TOUFIQ RASHID

Posted online: Saturday, December 03, 2005 at 0109 hours IST

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 2: The Phase I trials for HIV/AIDS vaccine for

India have shown that it is safe for healthy humans, health

officials said. It is, however, still to be tested on those infected

with HIV/AIDS. The results of the trials are expected in a month.

While the final analysis of the vaccine (adeno-associated viral

vector) is being done, the Health Ministry is preparing for trials

of another—Modified Ankara Vaccine — at Chennai's Tuberculosis

Research Institute by the end of this month.

The adeno-associated vaccine, officials said, was now ready for the

second and more important phase in which it would be tested on

people infected with HIV/AIDS.

While Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss declared this at a press

conference a few days ago, the claims have been validated by Indian

Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

``The Pune vaccine has been found to be safe for human use but its

effect on the immune system — the most important aspect — is yet to

be studied,'' said Dr N.K.Ganguly of the ICMR. He added no side

effects had been observed in any volunteer so far which was in

accordance with the international norms for the vaccine. He,

however, said the vaccine would take years to hit the market.

The trials are being conducted in partnership with the ICMR,

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and International AIDS

Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). It is an international initiative and the

trials are on in Germany and Belgium as well.

At the start of the trial, three volunteers, including a woman, were

administered an intra-muscular injection at National AIDS Research

Institute (NARI) in Pune in February 7.

The vaccine candidate is modelled after subtype C of HIV, which

accounts for most infections worldwide, and is prevalent in India

and South Africa. The vaccine, named tgAACO9, consists of an

artificially made copy of a part of the HIV's genetic material which

cannot cause HIV infection or AIDS.

Ganguly said the Health Ministry lined up six other vaccines. ``We

have to choose the candidate carefully and start with the one that

is more likely to be successful,'' he added

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=83181