PAVE HIV Vaccine Trial Canceled

Late last week Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases canceled a government-funded U.S. trial of the Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation (PAVE) HIV vaccine. Dr. Fauci stated that the impending trial was to determine whether PAVE lowered the amount of HIV in infected blood, however he does feel that there is currently enough evidence that the vaccine would have its intended effect. Following a meeting to discuss what caused a similar trial conducted by Merck in 2007 to fail, Dr. Fauci has decided that a smaller trial should first be conducted before unleashing the vaccine on a larger sample population.

There have been mixed responses to the cancellation of the PAVE trial. With increasing pressure to intensify the fight against HIV in the U.S. and worldwide, many had hoped that the trial might provide some ray of hope for a vaccine. However, because we do not yet know all of the effects an HIV vaccine would/could have on humans, many applaud Dr. Fauci’s erring on the side of caution. What is your reaction?

Sources:
“NIH official nixes large HIV vaccine trial” – Scientific American, July 18, 2008
“Trial for Vaccine Against H.I.V. Is Canceled” – The New York Times, July 18, 2008