JOHANNESBURG - South African scientists have launched a HIV vaccine trial aimed at stopping transmission of the virus.
The research begins with adults and could later be extended to infants and people living with HIV.
The trial dubbed, Brilliant 011, is being conducted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in partnership with the Desmond Tutu Foundation and the Wits Health Consortium.
SAMRC President Professor Glenda Gray said fundamental research on the continent enable African scientists to contribute to HIV science that has potential to leap-frog innovation.
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The trial is designed to explore new strategies for triggering broadly neutralising antibody responses, one of the most complex and critical challenges in HIV vaccine development.
"The trial that we announced and the trial that we started is in adults, in people living without HIV, and its discovery medicine, where we take first in human, first in Africa vaccine regimens to see whether we can induce broadly neutralising antibodies in these participants,” Gray explained.
“If these vaccine strategies work, then we’ll move to infants and people living with HIV. This trial that we're doing now involves adults and it’s the first time we're using this combination, of vaccines,” she said.