MOPH announces 31.2% efficacy of HIV vaccine trial

BANGKOK, 25 September 2009 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has announced a 31.2% preventive efficacy of HIV/AIDS in the third phase of the biggest HIV/AIDS vaccine research project in the world.

Speaking at the Disease Control Department yesterday, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai indicated the trial result as an important step in HIV/AIDS vaccine development, citing that it was the first time for the vaccine to have a preventive efficacy. The trial has been conducted on 16,000 volunteers in the Chon Buri and Rayong provinces.

This project is a collaboration among researchers from Mahidol University, the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, the Army Medical Department, Chon Buri and Rayong Public Health Offices. The research fund is sponsored by the US National Institute of Health, the US Army and vaccine manufacturers Sanofi Pasteur and GSID.

Meanwhile, Sanofi Aventis CEO Christopher Viehbacher and French National Agency for AIDS research Prof Jean-François Delfraissy lauded the success and efforts of the Thai research team and expressed hope for potential greater preventive efficacy in the future.