WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (AFP) - The results of a large-scale test of an AIDS vaccine in Thailand, released Wednesday, showed the inoculation method to be ineffective, confirming the results of an earlier test conducted by the US pharmaceutical firm Vaxgen, which created the vaccine.
The vaccine was shown to be ineffective both in preventing infection by the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS and in slowing the progression of the illness in people who were vaccinated and then became infected with the virus, according to a statement from the Brisbane, California-based company.
In the test, 105 participants who received a placebo were infected with HIV and 106 others who received at least one injection of the vaccine were infected.
The annual rate of infection, both for those receiving the placebo and those receiving the vaccine, was 3.1 percent.
The test was carried out in 17 medical centers in the Bangkok area.
The first test on the vaccine, conducted in North America, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands, also delivered disappointing results.
The tests were the largest ever carried out since HIV/AIDS was discovered two decades ago.
AIDSVAX was developed to encourage the immune system to create antibodies which, in principle, would cling to proteins on the virus and prevent it from latching onto the cell it wants to invade.
031112
AF031145
©AFP 2003. All Rights Reserved. AFP articles contained on the AEGiS web site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without AFP's prior written permission. You may make one copy of each article for your personal, non-commercial use only; more copies would require AFP's prior written permission. obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP photos or materials. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP stories, photos or graphics. - http://www.afp.com/
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
©1990, 2003 - AEGiS. AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.
