UK HIV Vaccines Consortium
The UK HIV Vaccine Consortium (UK HVC) aims to determine the most immunogenic vaccine strategy for HIV.
Why is an HIV Vaccine important?
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is possibly the greatest current challenge to international public health, and HIV will only be contained through the development of a prophylactic vaccine. Despite 20 years of intense research, there is still no credible HIV vaccine on the horizon. However, a number of groups have recently developed novel approaches to immunisation which induce high level cellular immune responses in man, and are the first steps to a future HIV vaccine. The funding process has generally led to these products being developed in isolation, and there has been little direct comparison of different immunisation strategies globally. In 2008, the Wellcome Trust granted a strategic award to foster integrated research between funded UK research groups studying diverse vaccine constructs under an umbrella organisation: The UK HIV Vaccine Consortium (UK HVC).
How will UK HVC achieve its aims?
The UK HVC will generate a series of candidate vaccines containing similar HIV antigens, such that direct comparison can be achieved to understand most rapidly the most immunogenic strategy for immunization in man. These results will lead to a UK contribution in HIV vaccine research which is greater than the sum of its parts, and will add to the Global initiative for an AIDS vaccine (GHAVE), in the fastest and most effective manner.
UK HVC clinical trials
UK HVC is currently supporting 3 clinical trials aiming to determine a series of viable candiate HIV vaccines. The International Clinical Trials Research Management Office is supporting these clinical trials as a member of UK HVC. UK HVC is providing these trials with immunisation products and clinical support:
Mucovac2 (UK HVC 001)
Mucovac2 is a Phase I clinical trial designed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of three HIV CN54gp140 immunisations administered in different regimens through the intramuscular, intranasal and intravaginal routes in healthy female volunteers. The trial, funded by The Wellcome Trust and sponsored by St George’s University London is expected to commence in September 2011, and will involve participants in two UK centres.
TaMoVac (UK HVC 002)
TaMoVac (Tanzania and Mozambique HIV Vaccine Programme) is aiming at evaluating candidate HIV Vaccines and build capacity to conduct clinical trials in Tanzania and Mozambique. It is funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Programme (EDCTP). Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI) are the Sponsor of the trial. Other partners include the University of Munich, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research/Military HIV Research Program and research lab and our team at Imperial.
- Read about TaMoVac on the Unviersity of Munic website
- Read about TaMoVac on the Mbeya Medical Research Programme website
DMP (UK HVC 003)
The DMP clinical trial builds on previous findings and is a Phase I study of a new combination of HIV vaccines. The trial will take place in London in 2012.
