By Mike Wehner, BGR
Treatment for people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has advanced greatly in recent decades, but a vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus has long been a seemingly unattainable holy grail for scientists.
However, that could change very soon, as researchers are constantly advancing HIV vaccine trials that show incredible potential.
As NBC News reports, scientists have developed a trio of potential HIV vaccines that are still undergoing rigorous testing, but the drugs have entered the final stage of trials and scientists are optimistic.
If things continue to progress at the current pace, HIV vaccines could begin to be available by 2021.
Dr. Susan Buchbinder, director of the Bridge HIV research program at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, described the success of the trials so far as "one of the most optimistic moments we've ever been in."
"We have three vaccines that are currently being tested in efficacy trials," he told NBC, "and it takes quite a lot to be promising enough in the early stages of trials to move on to an efficacy study."
There are multiple subtypes of the virus present worldwide, and different vaccines designed to target one or more of these variants would be crucial in waging a global war against the disease.
Of the three HIV vaccines currently progressing through trials, one is specifically designed to target a subtype of the virus that has devastated parts of southern Africa, while the other two are designed to combat a wide range of HIV variants.
Administering the vaccines is a demanding process, requiring multiple injections over a series of doctor visits. Trials are helping health officials better understand the rates at which the drugs can prevent the spread of HIV, while also revealing differences in effectiveness among population segments. A vaccine might be more effective in young African women but not as effective in middle-aged white men, for example.
Finally, researchers working on vaccines hope to advance their understanding of how the virus reacts to drugs. This could lead to vaccines that require far fewer injections, perhaps even reaching a point where a single doctor's visit would be enough to protect an individual.
From: https://nypost.com/2019/12/04/scientists-optimistic-that-hiv-vaccine-could-be-ready-by-2021/