Moderna set to begin human trials of AIDS vaccine this week
Biotech company Moderna, which developed one of the two most effective COVID-19 vaccines last year, plans to begin human trials soon for a new AIDS vaccine, according to multiple news sources.
According to information posted last week to the National Institute of Health’s clinical trial database, Moderna is looking for 56 HIV-negative people, ages 18-50, to participate in the trials set to begin this week (Thursday, Aug. 19) and conclude in the spring of 2023.
Moderna’s AIDS vaccines passed through Phase 1 testing for safety, involving just a few human volunteers, earlier this year. Phase II will test the vaccine’s efficacy as compared to other preventative treatments now available, such as PrEP.
Unlike live or inactive vaccines, mRNA vaccines do not contain parts of a virus. Instead this class of vaccine is designed to create proteins that trigger an immune response. This approach eliminates some potential drawbacks — live vaccines must be kept cool or they will spoil, which can hamper distribution — and lets manufacturers mass produce vaccine doses. The mRNA vaccines also give a person’s body the ability to possibly recognize new variants of a virus.
https://dallasvoice.com/moderna-set-to-begin-human-trials-of-aids-vaccine-this-week/
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