IAVI, GSK To Collaborate on HIV Vaccine Research; First Such Public-Private Partnership Involving Major Company
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals on Tuesday announced they are collaborating to develop an HIV/AIDS vaccine using new technology in the first such public-private partnership involving a major company, Reuters reports. The technology uses a type of chimpanzee virus, known as an adenovirus, that has been rendered noninfectious and modified to carry HIV proteins into cells and trigger an immune response. GSK believes the chimpanzee virus will be a more effective vector than a human virus because people will not be immune to it (Reuters, 6/21). The initial aim of the collaboration is to develop a vaccine against HIV variants primarily found in Africa, but the groups hope to make any successful vaccine available worldwide, according to a GSK release. Researchers first will conduct preclinical testing and then Phase I clinical trials of the vaccine candidates (GSK release, 6/21). However, the first clinical trials of the technology will not take place for a few years, and industry analysts say a commercially available vaccine would not be ready for at least 10 years, according to Reuters (Reuters, 6/21). "We hope this will be the beginning of a long-term partnership that brings together some of the most promising technologies in the field," IAVI President and CEO Seth Berkley said (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/21). Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania developed the nonhuman primate adenovirus vector technology, Dow Jones News Service reports (Dow Jones News Service, 6/21).
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.