EWN : reported that Researchers enrol volunteers for SA HIV clinical trial

The trial to prevent vascular events in HIV is the first large-scale random clinical research across four continents. JOHANNESBURG – Researchers have begun enrolling South Africans in a clinical trial to see whether a Statin drug can reduce the risk of major heart diseases in people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Researchers will choose volunteers randomly to receive a daily dose of a placebo while continuing with their anti-retroviral treatment." "What we are doing is identifying patients that would not normally qualify for Statin but have HIV. Previous studies have shown that people living with HIV are two times more likely to experience a heart attack than those who are not living with the virus.

New HIV prevention trial to begin

"Over the last five years, there has been close to 60 new HIV infections in South Australia each year," Professor Wesselingh says. "PrEP is an antiretroviral medication take daily by people at the highest risk of HIV to prevent them from acquiring HIV. SAHMRI's Executive Director, Professor Steve Wesselingh says the PrEP trial is an important step towards preventing HIV among South Australians at high risk of contracting the infection. The study follows the announcement of the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) access trial late last year. South Australians at high risk of acquiring HIV will have the opportunity to benefit from PrEP treatmentAlfred Health in Victoria has partnered with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), SA Health and local clinics for a new study to begin in April this year.

Cuba begins clinical trial of HIV vaccine

HAVANA,Cuba (CMC) — A therapeutic vaccine aimed at reducing the viral load of patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is currently in phase one of a clinical trial, in which its safety is studied. According to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health 31 years after the first case diagnosed in the country with HIV, transmission by blood and its derivatives and mother-to-child transmission were eliminated. Prieto Correa emphasised that the country's scientific institutions, and in particular the CIGB should keep the search for vaccine candidates against HIV among its research priorities, although prevention is still the main method of avoiding contagion. The proposal presented by Prieto Correa and a team of researchers at the first Congress BioProcess 2017, which takes place in Camaguey, shows signs of efficacy, however she noted that it does not cure the disease. After preclinical studies in laboratory animals, and tests in the small group of humans, it was shown that the immune response of the organism is enhanced thanks to the use of the vaccine, although Prieto Correa insisted on not creating false expectations.


collected by :Lucy William
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