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HIV/AIDS vaccine ends 1st-phase tests

By Zhang Feng (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-12 08:51

The first stage of a three-phase clinical test for China's first joint HIV/AIDS vaccine has been completed in Nanning, capital of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The 15-month-long test came to an end over the weekend as scientists of the Guangxi regional Centre for Disease Control and Prevention finished follow-up examinations on 49 volunteers inoculated with the vaccine.

Researchers will write a report based on statistics and experimental data collected in the test. The State Food and Drug Administration will examine the report and decide whether the centre can go ahead with the second phase.

"The aim of the first-phase test is primarily to check the safety of the vaccine," Chen Jie, deputy director of the centre, was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying.
Currently, all data shows that the reactions of vaccine carriers are normal, and researchers are confident about the approval of the second phase, Chen noted.

The second phase of the trials will test antibody induction and continue to test the safety of the vaccine, Chen added, and more volunteers will be recruited.

The third phase will focus on testing the vaccine's ability to protect high-risk groups including drug abusers and sex workers.

A vaccine can be approved for production and usage only after it passes three test phases.

At present, about 35 AIDS vaccine are being tested on humans in the world. But the majority of them are still in the first phase.