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HIV Vaccine Safe Enough To Pass Phase 1 Human Trials

An anonymous reader sends this excerpt from Western University in Canada: "The first human applied clinical study (SAV CT 01) using a genetically modified killed whole-virus vaccine (SAV001-H) to evaluate its safety and tolerability was initiated in March 2012. This study is a randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled study of killed whole HIV-1 vaccine (SAV001-H) following intramuscular (IM) administration. Infected men and women, 18-50 years of age, have been enrolled in this study and randomized into two treatment groups to administer killed whole HIV-1 vaccine (SAV001-H) or placebo. Sumagen announced today the patient enrollment has progressed smoothly and there have been no adverse effects observed including local reactions, signs/symptoms and laboratory toxicities after SAV001-H injection in all enrolled patients to date. With these interim results, the SAV001-H has proven safety and tolerability in humans and given Sumagen confidence for the next clinical trials to prove its immunogenicity and efficacy evaluation."

35 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. What is Jenny McCarthy going to say? by alen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Along with the anti-vaccine nutters?

    Clearly using real HIV viruses must be very risky and dangerous

    1. Re:What is Jenny McCarthy going to say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I dunno, I'm starting to think vaccines really do make people retarded.

    2. Re:What is Jenny McCarthy going to say? by aliquis · · Score: 3, Funny

      It all depends on how much you dilute it.

    3. Re:What is Jenny McCarthy going to say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Please learn to recognize sarcasm.

    4. Re:What is Jenny McCarthy going to say? by Nocturnal+Deviant · · Score: 2

      as troll and lacking in taste/etiquette as this comment is...i did laugh...

      --
      -Noc
  2. Does that mean by starworks5 · · Score: 3, Funny

    That I can tell women that I have the AIDS vaccine at the bar, and can give it to them through intra-muscular administration.

    1. Re:Does that mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That's not the problem. Believe it or not, the problem is getting them to use it. My father has worked in Africa for more than 20 years now and there is a massive amount of distrust for this sort of thing among the native populations. Many average people even think this type of thing is a CIA plot to kill them off. With the things people have done to them over the centuries, I'm not terribly surprised, but there has been a lot of effort over the last few generations to fix that, and yet it still remains. It won't be easy to overcome.

    2. Re:Does that mean by grinchier · · Score: 3, Informative

      I have lived in Africa my whole life and that CIA plot thing is old. It's now a "plot by multi-national pharmaceutical companies". At least, it was during Thabo Mbeki's tenure as South African president (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS_denialism#In_South_Africa). AIDS awareness is alive and well here.

    3. Re:Does that mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Spending money would be one thing. We're spending debt, money we don't have.
      It's the same as charging to your credit card a thanksgiving meal to a homeless person, so that you can go home and eat a can of beans.

      I'm all for charity, but you have to take care of yourself first (take care of, not live in luxury.) The country needs to get out of debt before we continue all this foreign aid.

  3. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The test for HIV tests for antibodies... So the human body already makes antibodies against HIV... So how are the antibodies for this vaccine different? *These* work? How?

    1. Re:So... by Sir_Sri · · Score: 4, Insightful

      A very small percentage of the population makes them. One option for a vaccine is to try and hack that immunity into the rest of us.

    2. Re:So... by slew · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As I understand it, humans will always produce antibodies to fight infections like HIV. Unfortunatly, the antibodies that humans normally produce in the attempt to neutralize and HIV infection don't appear to be very good at it. The short story is that somehow HIV evolved to avoid having many fewer binding locations so the most effective "Y" shaped antibodies cannot effectively attach bivalently (in two places). This bivalent attach is apparently the most common strategies used by our immune system.

      Apparently some people can make more potent antibodies called bNAbs, but often HIV mutates to avoid these as well, but sometimes there are successes.

      I'm unclear on why this new Canadian/Korean HIV vaccine would be any better at bootstrapping the immune system than the most recent failed attempts. The only novel part that I can tell about this, is that they are using "whole" (but genetically modified) HIV instead of putting HIV protein genes codings into more common viruses, but if HIV is as crafty as it seems to be, this may only be a simple shot-in-the-dark hope that somehow bootstrapping the immune system will allow the body to come up with a way to fight off HIV before it gets a chance to overwhelm the immune system. Color me skeptical as that was what the other vaccines attempted to do, but it's not clear that this will be a successful route.

    3. Re:So... by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, look at it this way:

      Worst case scenario, nothing happens. Good-case scenario, it cures aids. Best-case scenario, HIV mutates into something radically worst and gives us the zombie apocalypse we've been waiting for.

      --
      WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
    4. Re:So... by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 2

      A very interesting question.
      Especially (from the /. summary) that this vaccin is claimed to cure HIV.
      Vaccins usually empore your imune system to protect against starting infections. However they don't cure an infection that already has broken out.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    5. Re:So... by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Funny

      At least it would be very easy to identify safe sex partners. If it moans and feels like a corpse... uh...

      Damn, my last girlfriend... I think I should get checked.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Re:Vaccinating People Already Infected? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Because if the vaccine is still active in any way, it can't infect anyone further.

  5. Re:Vaccinating People Already Infected? by Carnildo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Phase 1 trials are the "prove the vaccine doesn't give you AIDS" (or cause other medical problems) stage of things.

    --
    "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
  6. Re:Calling BS by lowlymarine · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It doesn't, but then again that isn't what this stage of testing was about. But hey, I get it - reading to the end of the first sentence of the summary is a lot of work. A busy man like you can't be bothered to invest that much time before rushing off to enlighten us with your genius commentary.

  7. Re:subjects were already infected by slew · · Score: 5, Informative

    I find it interesting that all the subjects were already HIV positive. It looks like this study only shows that it is ok to inject into a human, not that it does anything useful.

    That is all Phase I testing is: identify a safe dosage range and screening for side effects...
    Phase II, they will be attempt to determine if it does anything useful.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial#Phases

  8. Re:The government created HIV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It is not found in mankind prior the last 100 years.

    In many ways you are misguidedly correct. If the governments of Europe did not initiate their heavy colonisation of Africa during the late 19th century, it is unlikely that AIDS would have ever spread outside of the remote areas of Africa where it orginated and would not likely be the pandemic problem that it is today.

  9. Re:subjects were already infected by Rich0 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yup. Phase I results aren't generally considered newsworthy. Pharmaceutical companies have drugs get through phase I trials many times per year. Most turn out to not work, or to have subtle but serious side effects.

    The kinds of problems that you can actually spot in Phase I trials are the kinds of problems that would wipe out entire cities if you actually put the pills on store shelves. We're not talking about "maybe causes a 10% increase in heart attack risk" dangerous - more like "causes half those who take it to turn purple and gasp for air" dangerous.

    It is the logical first step in testing drugs on people, and it confirms that testing it on sick people isn't going to outright kill a bunch of them, and it helps you to understand how it is metabolized so that you can get the dosing about right when you start the "Real" tests.

  10. It's not. by mosb1000 · · Score: 3, Informative

    They're testing whether or not it's safe, not whether it will be effective.

  11. Re:Details?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Killed virus" means the virus is damaged to the point that they cannot be replicated, but the immune system can still recognize and remember it.

  12. Re:my vaccine already works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Also don't be the child of someone with HIV, or the wife/husband of someone who gets around (esp in countries where the wife is not in a position to refuse the husband), or be in a country that isn't great with medical sterilisation.
    Or don't contract it in a freak incident such as sharing a leg razor with sister, or the other numerous ways the infection has spread through no fault of the infected.

  13. Re:my vaccine already works by JanneM · · Score: 4, Informative

    ..or get raped by somebody that is infected .Or get a blood transfusion from somebody that turned out to be infected. Or cut yourself on something with blood from an infected person.

    --
    Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
  14. Re:Vaccinating People Already Infected? by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 2

    Actually, each strain of the virus is unique, and if an infected individual gets infected again with a different strain, it can actually make it worse.

    --
    WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  15. Re:my vaccine already works by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 2

    Easy and cheap, and it works, but it's not a lot of fun. Unknown, untested wet holes are exactly the place you want to be.

    --
    WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  16. Hardly the first trial to get that far... by DrCJM · · Score: 2

    There are *lots* of HIV vaccines in development, many reaching phase I and others going further. There's even one recent phase III showing some evidence of a preventative effect.

    For a review check: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22710904

  17. With a little help from Bill by CityZen · · Score: 2

    From Sumagen's website:

    "Sumagen’s HIV/AIDS vaccine is also supported for its R&D cost from the HIV/AIDS vaccine development fund, jointly launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the government of Canada."

  18. Re:subjects were already infected by nospam007 · · Score: 2

    "Most turn out to not work, or to have subtle but serious side effects."

    Sure but also sometimes (sildenafil citrate) the side effects are so unsubtle that the test objects are reluctant or flatly refuse to give back the rest of the drugs after trial.

  19. Re:my vaccine already works by nospam007 · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Or get a blood transfusion from somebody that turned out to be infected. "

    BTW, that's the reason we don't get any more Isaak Asimov novels.

  20. the low-risk choice by r00t · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you will fuck anything that moves and says yes - well you are engaging in risky behavior.

    Definitely. The low-risk choice is to find something that says no, then make it stop moving.

  21. Re:you need to know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    I know I shouldn't (and for all I know the US child support system is totally screwed) but dude, those are his kids, kids cost money and effort to raise, and he needs to provide 50% of both. If he loses his job, then surely these things get re-assessed (I know they do in my country). His kids welfare matters, not his, and if they've been raised by their mother so far, then obviously a judge is going to have her continue to provide that care.

    Sorry, but men's choice point over kids is at choosing to have sex, women get a little bit longer than that - but then they have a lot more invested in it. Plenty of women are maimed or die having babies, but I suspect a vanishingly small number of men risk their lives when having sex!

  22. Re:It is dangerous. Very dangerous. by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

    You mean that stuff cures HIV and on top of it I get a fashion sense and a higher mean income? Sign me up!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  23. Re:The government created HIV by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2
    Of course it wasn't found prior to the last 100 years. HIV is difficult to detect with current medical technology, and the most obvious effect is AIDS. But no one dies of AIDS, they die of whatever their weakened immune system was unable to fight off, such as a common cold.

    Oh, and which government do you think had the ability to engineer a lentivirus 100 years ago? Because I'd like them to provide my healthcare...

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News