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Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

gizmag.com

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Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#11

Post by joshklein »

My father is an infectious disease specialist who has spent the last 30 or so years working on HIV in research, patient treatment, and education. The following thought comes from my casual conversations with him, and probably does not represent his professional opinion. It certainly does not reflect his specific thoughts in regards to this trial, as we haven't yet discussed it.

The progress in treating HIV since it first entered the popular psyche has been significant. It is no longer a death sentence in the developed world, and those infected with HIV - who get treatment and adhere to that treatment - can live long and relatively normal lives.

The real problem is in the developing world, and amongst populations in the developed world that cannot or will not seek/adhere to treatment. Treatment is sufficiently advanced that, while further developments of a vaccine are unbelievably exciting, they are not necessarily a game-changer in terms of worldwide infection. We have a long way to go in terms of beating this virus. Theoretically, we could follow the same route as with [edit: smallpox], unifying and mobilizing the world to isolate and then eradicate pockets of the disease, but this is a much larger effort than the one taking place in the lab, and is a question of government & administration, rather than medicine.

Edit: Bringing it up from a comment I made below, here is a relevant TED Talk on stopping pandemics: http://www.ted.com/talks/larry_brilliant_wants_to_stop_pande...

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#12

Post by cjensen »

sgentle wrote: post #8

Easy to miss: "The recent human trials involved 30 healthy volunteers, where 24 were treated with MVA-B, while the other 6 were treated with a placebo, carried out over a 48 week period." This test was done on healthy volunteers, not ones with HIV. Although it's promising that 90% of the patients showed an immune response, we don't know how well that immune response translates into therapeutic benefit until it's tria…

Correct. Phase 1 is where they check to see if the vaccine is safe. Considering the history of HIV Vaccines, it's way too early to get excited.

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#13

Post by palish »

arethuza wrote: post #9
bhickey wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While it won't probably kill you, it isn't exactly harmless. It can reemerge as shingles. There are cases of herpes causing death. For example, in an infant infected by his mohel, and a laboratory researcher killed after exposure to monkey feces. ( http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056008.htm )

Shingles can be very nasty - my mother had it after I had chickenpox. It was across her face and eyes - she was hospitalised and was on morphine for the pain.

Sorry to hear that about your mother. I hope everything turned out okay.

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#15

Post by kokey »

grannyg00se wrote: post #2

"if this genetic cocktail passes Phase II and Phase III future clinic trials, and makes it into production, in the future HIV could be compared to herpes virus nowadays". As far as I know there is no herpes vaccine and herpes stays with you for life resulting in recurring problems. Doesn't quite sound like a very flattering comparison to an effective vaccine solution.

Around 1 in 4 or 5 women in the UK have herpes. I think the stats are similar for the US. It's still a problem, but most people suffer little from having it. It still has a stigma attached to it, hence why people don't admit to it, which makes me think the comparison with HIV is a fairly good comparison.

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#16

Post by corin_ »

palish wrote: post #10
sgentle wrote: post #8

Easy to miss: "The recent human trials involved 30 healthy volunteers, where 24 were treated with MVA-B, while the other 6 were treated with a placebo, carried out over a 48 week period." This test was done on healthy volunteers, not ones with HIV. Although it's promising that 90% of the patients showed an immune response, we don't know how well that immune response translates into therapeutic benefit until it's tria…

Isn't the point of a vaccine to prevent, not cure? EDIT: thanks guys, but I have enough upvotes. My comment didn't add much to HN. Wasn't actually trying to prove him wrong -- I thought I'd missed something and was asking for clarification.

Yes, that is the point - somewhat ironically missed by the "easy to miss" comment's owner.

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#17

Post by sgentle »

palish wrote: post #10
sgentle wrote: post #8

Easy to miss: "The recent human trials involved 30 healthy volunteers, where 24 were treated with MVA-B, while the other 6 were treated with a placebo, carried out over a 48 week period." This test was done on healthy volunteers, not ones with HIV. Although it's promising that 90% of the patients showed an immune response, we don't know how well that immune response translates into therapeutic benefit until it's tria…

Isn't the point of a vaccine to prevent, not cure? EDIT: thanks guys, but I have enough upvotes. My comment didn't add much to HN. Wasn't actually trying to prove him wrong -- I thought I'd missed something and was asking for clarification.

Ha, oops. I don't know how I managed to mix up vaccine and cure - my brain must be asleep. Thanks for pointing it out.

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#18

Post by falcolas »

JVerstry wrote: post #14

Many in the scientific community claim there is no evidence HIV is actually causing AIDS. Hence, even if this is a successful vaccine, there is no guarantee it will protect from AIDS.

[citation needed]

First I've ever heard of anything like this.

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#19

Post by phillmv »

JVerstry wrote: post #14

Many in the scientific community claim there is no evidence HIV is actually causing AIDS. Hence, even if this is a successful vaccine, there is no guarantee it will protect from AIDS.

What the fuck?

Are these the same scientists who don't believe in global warming?

Re: Promising HIV vaccine passes phase one human trials with 90% success rate

#20

Post by burgerbrain »

palish wrote: post #10
sgentle wrote: post #8

Easy to miss: "The recent human trials involved 30 healthy volunteers, where 24 were treated with MVA-B, while the other 6 were treated with a placebo, carried out over a 48 week period." This test was done on healthy volunteers, not ones with HIV. Although it's promising that 90% of the patients showed an immune response, we don't know how well that immune response translates into therapeutic benefit until it's tria…

Isn't the point of a vaccine to prevent, not cure? EDIT: thanks guys, but I have enough upvotes. My comment didn't add much to HN. Wasn't actually trying to prove him wrong -- I thought I'd missed something and was asking for clarification.

That certainly is the common point, however (provided the patient is strong enough to survive the additional initial strain) shouldn't it also kickstart an immune response in patients who are already infected? And once that starts, shouldn't that likely help fight the infection?

I don't know myself, I know next to nothing about medicine.

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