Recent news
May 2011
World AIDS Vaccine Day marked with recent breakthroughs and calls for sustained funding
May 20, 2011 -- Wednesday, May 18 marked World AIDS Vaccine day and provided a platform to discuss the importance and increasing need for an HIV vaccine. Seth Berkley, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), wrote a blog post on The Hill’s Congress blog stressing the importance of US support for the development of a viable HIV vaccine, the incredible progress that is being made thanks to this continued support, and the need for innovation to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the world. Dr. Berkley specifically points to the impact of US support for HIV vaccine research saying, “US Government support for research into HIV prevention—most notably an AIDS vaccine—has been crucial to seeding what scientists are calling a prevention revolution. Without it, we would not be where we are today.” Additionally, Dr. Berkley called for sustained funding for vaccine innovation and points to the cost-savings a vaccine would create, saying, “In these economically tough times, we must not forget the long term cost-savings promise of AIDS vaccines—and keep doing all we can to make that promise a reality.”
The Center for Global Health Policy’s Science Speaks blog, in honor of World AIDS Vaccine Day, interviewed Dr. Louis Picker, associate director of the Oregon Health & Science University’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI). Dr. Picker recently led a team from VGTI, the National Cancer Institute, and IAVI that reported a new HIV vaccine approach published in Nature last week. Early results indicate promise although additional research is needed before it can be tested in humans. Dr. Picker explains the success of his team’s recent research by saying, “If making an AIDS vaccine is like a cliff like Half Dome that you want to climb, at the bottom it looks overwhelming and impossible. This study shows there is actually a path to the top.” See links below for more information.
