Biotech company Moderna will begin human trials for its HIV vaccine by Thursday, August 19, through use of same messenger RNA (mRNA) platform which is used in COVID-19 vaccine.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is responsible for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and has no effective cure.
Nearly 38 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV with numbers standing at 1.2 million in the U.S. Nearly 2 million new infections of HIV are acquired worldwide every year and around 690,000 people die annually due to complications from HIV/AIDS.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s trial registry the clinical trial for Phase 1 will start on August 19 and end sometime around May 2023.
The study will involve 56 HIV-uninfected participants aged 18 to 56 and the participants will be given one or two forms of mRNA (mRNA-1644 & mRNA-1644v2-Core) that cause the body to form defenses against HIV.
The attempts to develop an HIV vaccine have been going on for decades but have shown little success.
Scientists hope that breakthrough in HIV will be achieved since the mRNA platform offers a fresh approach and is safe and effective with COVID-19.
