Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - March 1, 2002
Anjira Assavanonda
The vaccine, developed for HIV-1 Subtype-E virus which is common among Thai and other Asian Aids carriers, is a result of the international collaboration between the Public Health Ministry's Medical Science Department and Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
Dr Narongsak Angkhasuvaphala, the deputy director-general of the Medical Science Department, said this is the first Aids vaccine project Thailand has taken part in since the beginning of basic research which started four years ago, up to preclinical trials in animals which have so far proved to be safe.
The department yesterday held an international meeting in Bangkok to evaluate the vaccine and to decide whether it can proceed to clinical trials on humans. The meeting was participated by concerned authorities from Thailand and Japan, as well as experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).
If approved, it should take another five years to complete the entire process.
Dr Shudo Yamazaki, chairman of Japan's Steering Committee, said if the trial completely succeeds, this will be considered the first Thai home-made vaccine against HIV/Aids.
The vaccine, he said, will not only benefit Thais, but also people in neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and Burma.
The trial of this Thai-made vaccine would be another advance of Thai technology in the prevention of HIV/Aids.
Currently, the Public Health Ministry is also planning a phase III trial of a combination of two HIV vaccines on 16,000 people in Chon Buri and Rayong provinces.
The two vaccines are Aidsvax, developed by VaxGen company, and Alvac developed by Aventis Pasteur. The combination of the vaccines would probably work better in warding off HIV infection.
The success of vaccine trials could be one of the solutions to relieve HIV/Aids epidemic worldwide.
Dr Jose Esparza, of World Health Organization, cited WHO's latest statistics which showed 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/Aids, with some three million people having died of the disease in 2000.
HIV/Aids, he said, has become the leading cause of death in Africa and the fourth in the world. In Thailand alone, the number of people living with HIV/Aids has surpassed one million with over 50,000 already dead.
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