NIH halts trial of HIV prevention vaccine on lack of efficacy
NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) discontinued the Phase IIb HVTN 505 trial to prevent HIV infection after an interim analysis showed a lack of efficacy of the vaccine regimen in the trial. An independent DSMB found that the VRC DNA/rAd5 HIV vaccine regimen -- which consists of an HIV-1 DNA plasmid vaccine injection on days 1, 28 and 56 followed by a recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (rAd5) vector vaccine injection on day 168 -- did not prevent HIV infection nor reduce viral load in vaccine recipients who became infected with HIV. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, U.S. trial enrolled 2,504 HIV-uninfected circumcised men who have sex with men and transgender people who have sex with men. All subjects received HIV risk-reduction counseling and condoms. ...