by Gus Cairns
During the COVID-19 crisis, a number of the ongoing worldwide HIV vaccine and immunotherapy efficacy trials are being paused or curtailed.
The HIV Vaccines Trial Network (HVTN) originally announced on Monday 24 March that several of the large prevention efficacy trials it oversees would be curtailed or paused. Since then, a number of other study investigators have announced that their studies will be shortened, paused or postponed - see AVAC for more details.
The AMP Trials, HVTN 703 and 704, which study the treatment and possible curative effect of administering infusions of broadly neutralising antibodies, will be shortened and that participants will not receive any more doses of antibodies. The trials were nearing their end anyway and the researchers believe they have enough data to determine a result.
The Mosaico vaccine trial (HVTN 706) is the most seriously affected of the current HIV preventative vaccine trials, as it only started last autumn. Its sites in western Europe are in the two seriously affected countries of Italy and Spain and it has multiple US sites too. All vaccinations in Mosaico are being paused for now, with a review date on 1 May to see when the trial can be safely resumed.
The Imbokodo trial, HVTN 705, in which the candidate vaccine is being given to younger women in five southern African countries, is further along. All study participants have received their third set of injections, and the majority have received their fourth and final injections. When it is deemed safe and appropriate, the final set of vaccinations in Imbokodo will be completed.