There is a hope for AIDS vaccine, particularly, after the successful completion of phase-1 of clinical trials of the ASIDS vaccine. Results show that it had acceptable levels of safety and was well tolerated. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) are confident of its success.

 

Under the experiment two doses of the MVA (Modified Vaccinia Ankara), after three injections, 82 percent of the volunteers who received a low dose and 100 percent of those who received a high dose registered immune responses to the vaccine. Accordingly, the researchers consider the 100 percent response rate a good signal of AIDS vaccine.

 

S.K. Bhattacharya, Additional Director General of ICMR said that they are pleased to see that the MVA-based candidate tested in Chennai was safe and showed promising initial immune responses. However the strength and diversity of these immune responses were modest. The phase I clinical trial started in January 2006 at the Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC), an ICMR institute in Chennai is certainly giving hope to millions.