For twenty years, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been thwarting the attempts of scientists to develop an effective vaccine. Scientists are seeing major promise in the latest batch, so much promise that major pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline is making deals.
“For now, we think it’s the best thing we’ve seen yet, ever… and that it really deserves full scale testing, and we hope that the data will be good,” says Dr. Julie McElrath, who has been researching the hopeful cure.
Testing has just begun around the world on the vaccine that uses a synthetic form of HIV to provoke the body to produce an immune response. It is based on a chimpanzee version that has proved effective.
“The vaccine itself is not HIV. It’s not going to give you HIV infection, but it’s going to allow the body to recognize pieces of HIV and to make an immune response,” Dr. McElrath said.
The vaccine has produced the strongest ever T-cell immune response against HIV since efforts began in 1987. There have been 50 vaccines developed and tested since then, but all have failed to contain the virus that proves to be a tricky and resilient one.
It is so promising that pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has joined the effort with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) by signing a commitment for development and distribution should the vaccine pass all trials.
Private companies rarely join non-profit efforts unless they think a new drug has potential. Glaxo has promised to produce the new vaccine at affordable prices to developing countries which account for 95% of all new HIV infections. Though only 0.7% of the world’s population is living with AIDS, 60% of the infected live in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the United Nations.
