Today is the World HIV Vaccine Day. We would like to take this opportunity to increase the awareness of the need and importance of research and innovation for both preventive and therapeutic vaccines against HIV.
Currently, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 37 million people in the world are living with HIV and there are more than 2 million of new infections each year.
Since the recognition of the condition, a lot of research effort has been made to develop vaccines that help tame the virus. At present, there is no effective HIV vaccine, however, many research projects are in clinical trials. The investigation includes studies to develop therapeutic vaccines for the people who are already infected, as well as preventive solutions intended to protect people from contracting the virus.
On the one hand, lifesaving antiretroviral therapies allow those living with HIV to enjoy longer and healthier lives. On the other hand, another component of the HIV vaccine research effort focuses on inducing the immune system to form the kind of broadly neutralising antibodies that may protect people from HIV.
Asphalion is actively participating in two EU funded projects aimed at discovering the HIV infection cure. Under the Horizon 2020 programme, we are the members of the consortiums working on the following projects:
–iHIVARNA: aims to successfully immunise antiretroviral-treated HIV-infected patients with an mRNA-based therapeutic vaccine, thus improving the efficacy of therapeutic vaccination against the HIV infection.
–HIVACAR: aims to successfully combine immune-based therapies, including therapeutic vaccines and broadly neutralising antibodies with latency reversing agents. The vaccine is in a proof-of-concept phase I/IIa clinical trial.
Our experts carry out the scientific and regulatory affairs activities of the projects and guide the product development strategy towards the goal of the European Commission’s initiative: to bring research ideas into the market and make it available to the patients.
All in all, we would like to acknowledge all the scientific community for their meaningful work and commitment in the deterrence of AIDS, along with all the health professionals, volunteers and patients involved.
iHIVARNA: The research leading to this results has received funding from the European Comunity’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement nå¡ 602570
HIVACAR: This Project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 731626
