Final Clinical Trials of HIV Vaccine Show Disappointing Results
The National Institute of Health (NIH) reported that on January 19, 2023, the pharmaceutical company Janssen, a branch of Johnson and Johnson, stopped the last stage of clinical trials of the HIV vaccine. The trials, which involved 3,900 volunteers from 3 continents, found that the vaccine “was safe but did not provide protection” against HIV infection.
The vaccine, dubbed ‘Mosaic’, was tested on cisgender men and transgender people between the ages of 18 and 60, with the trials starting in 2019. However, after receiving an independent assessment, the vaccine did not meet the requirements resulting in the study being terminated.
Anthony Fauci, the main US epidemiologist, said the news of the suspension was “disappointing”, while Mitchell Warren, the executive director of HIV prevention organization AVAC, said this is “not the time to back down from ongoing research.
According to UN figures, more than 38 million people currently live with HIV across the world and in 2021 alone, 1.5 million new infections were reported.
