As the medical world gears up for the 22nd annual International Aids Conference to be held in Amsterdam from July 23 to 27, a new trial vaccine is offering restored hope in battling AIDS.
Scientists revealed Saturday that a candidate trial drug triggered an immune response in humans and shielded monkeys from infection. The trial drug has been proven safe and effective while being used by humans and is advancing to the next stage of testing.
The next phase of the pre-approval trial process will include 2,600 women in southern Africa to determine whether HIV infection can be prevented.
The new candidate study is being dubbed “HVTN705″ or “Imbokodo,” which is the isiZulu word for “rock.”
The drug protected two-thirds of monkeys in a trial lab, but scientists warn the same result may not occur in humans.
“Although these data are promising, we need to remain cautious,” said study leader Dan Barouch, a Harvard Medical School professor.
The results of the Imbokodo trial are expected in 2021/22.
According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 37 million people live with HIV and AIDS and there are approximately 1.8 million new infections every year. Death toll is estimated currently at a million deaths per year.
In total, it’s approximated that nearly 80 million people have been infected since the HIV virus was first detected in the early 1980s – and 35 million have died.
Prevention of the virus includes condom usage and, often, lifelong virus-suppressing antiretroviral treatment (ART). Almost 21 million people were receiving antiretroviral treatment by mid-2017.
Learn more about HIV and AIDS here.