Health experts today called for trials of an HIV vaccine under development in Thailand to be speeded up following recent setbacks in other efforts to end the AIDS epidemic.
Initial test results of the RV144 vaccine — jointly developed by US military researchers and the Thai health ministry — in 2009 found a 31 per cent protection rate among 16,000 Thai volunteers.
Phase IIb trials could start next year in the kingdom, a major forum in Bangkok heard.
Experts are optimistic a modified version of the vaccine will raise the protection rate to around 50 per cent — the figure needed to obtain regulatory approval for public release.
Business Standard
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