Press Releases

September 24, 2009
A statement by Larry Corey, M.D., on the success of the HIV Vaccine Trial in Thailand
The HIV vaccine field received exciting news today from an HIV vaccine trial conducted in Thailand, where the vaccines tested appeared to reduce the acquisition of HIV by about 30 percent.
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August 24, 2009
HVTN 505 HIV Vaccine Study Begins Enrolling Volunteers
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, has opened enrollment in HVTN 505, an exploratory HIV vaccine clinical study.
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August 24, 2009
Questions & Answers: The HVTN 505 HIV Vaccine Regimen Study
What is the HVTN 505 study? HVTN 505 is a Phase II exploratory clinical study examining a combination of two investigational vaccines. Read more

November 21, 2008
The HVTN 505 Study
The world needs an HIV vaccine. We can't educate or treat ourselves out of the epidemic— we have to prevent it, and vaccines have historically been the best tool in our arsenal for preventing disease.
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August 2, 2008
A statement from Larry Corey, MD, of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network regarding the new HIV infection statistics released today by the Centers for Disease Control
"The federal government's ability to more exactly measure the number of new HIV infections in the United States annually is a great statistical tool - but that is all that it is. I interpret the new numbers this way: They remind us that HIV/AIDS continues to be a real public health problem in this country as well as in many developing nations around the globe."
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December 21, 2007
Information Regarding Trials using the MRK Ad5 gag/pol/nef Vaccine
A list of questions and answers about the latest findings regarding the STEP Study. The current STEP results suggest that people who got the vaccine might get infected with HIV more easily if they are exposed to it. We saw this trend toward more infections especially in the group of participants who had pre-existing immunity (antibodies) to adenovirus type 5 (Ad5), a cold virus.
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November 13, 2007
STEP Study Volunteers to be Informed Whether They Received Vaccine or Placebo
Merck & Co., Inc. and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) today announced that study volunteers in the STEP study of Merck's HIV vaccine (V520) will be told whether they received vaccine or placebo, and all study volunteers will be encouraged to continue to return to their study sites on a regular basis for ongoing risk reduction counseling and study-related tests.
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November 7, 2007
Data from STEP Study Presented at Open Scientific Session Confirm Merck's Investigational HIV Vaccine was not Effective
The vaccine used in the STEP Study was not effective at either preventing infection in volunteers not previously infected with HIV or at reducing viral loads in those study volunteers who became infected with HIV during the trial.
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October 23, 2007
Update on the STEP and Phambili HIV vaccine trials
Based on a review of the STEP data, an independent DSMB has now concluded that there is no basis for anticipating more favourable results in the South African clinical trial known as HVTN 503, or the "Phambili" study. Therefore, the HVTN 503 oversight committee has permanently suspended immunisations and enrolment in the study in South Africa.
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September 21, 2007
Vaccination and Enrollment Are Discontinued in Phase II Trials of Merck's Investigational HIV Vaccine Candidate
The independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for STEP reviewed safety data and results of an interim efficacy analysis of the study, and recommended that vaccination be discontinued because the STEP trial will not meet its efficacy endpoints.
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February 8, 2007
Africa's first large-scale HIV Vaccine Study launches
The launch of the first large-scale study to evaluate a candidate HIV vaccine on the African continent was announced today by study collaborators in the United States and South Africa. The trial will involve up to 3,000 participants at five sites throughout South Africa.
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February 8, 2007
First large-scale study of HIV vaccine starts in South Africa
The South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI), which is supported by Eskom and the South African government, today announced the start of the first large-scale, test of concept HIV vaccine trial in South Africa.
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February 8, 2007
First Large-Scale HIV Vaccine Trial in South Africa Opens
A large-scale clinical trial of a candidate HIV vaccine—which previously showed promise in smaller studies in the United States and elsewhere—has now opened in South Africa.
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February 8, 2007
Archbishop Tutu endorses Phambili
Archbishop (emeritus) Desmond M. Tutu today announced his support of Phambili, the recently announced efficacy trial of an experimental vaccine to prevent infection with HIV.
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February 8, 2007
Statement of Loyiso Bala on the start of the Phambili HIV Vaccine Trial
Loyiso Bala, noted South African entertainer today issued the following statement regarding the commencement of the Phambili HIV vaccine efficacy trial.
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February 8, 2007
Freshlyground sings Cheers for Phambili
Freshlyground, winner of the MTV 2006 award for the Best Act in Africa, is pleased to voice its support for Phambili.
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March 21, 2006 Quintiles Transnational Corp Announces Donation to Seattle Vaccine Research Quintiles donates $100,000 to the Seattle Vaccine Research Fund for antiretroviral treatment for HIV vaccine trial participants who become infected during vaccine studies. Read More...

January 24, 2005 NIAID Begins Enrolling Volunteers for Novel HIV Vaccine Study A large clinical trial of a novel HIV vaccine has begun enrolling volunteers at sites in North America, South America, the Caribbean and Australia. Organizers are seeking 1,500 participants. Read More...

January 24, 2005 Merck’s Investigational HIV/AIDS Vaccine Candidate Advances To Phase II Efficacy Testing in Collaborative Clinical Trial The HIV Vaccine Trials Network and Merck & Co., Inc. announced that they have begun a collaborative Phase II proof-of-concept study using one of Merck’s investigational HIV/AIDS vaccine candidates. The trial will be conducted at both Merck and HVTN clinical trial sites in North and South America, the Caribbean, and Australia. Read More...

January 15, 2004 Chiron announces HVTN 049 collaboration Chiron Corporation announced today the initiation of a clinical trial in the United States for its HIV vaccine candidate. The trial, the result of a collaboration between the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and Chiron, is testing a new generation of HIV vaccines that attempt to generate cellular immune response together with broad antibody response that will neutralize the virus. The Phase I study will evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. Read More...

September 19, 2003 Merck's Investigational HIV Vaccine Candidate to be Studied In Collaborative Clinical Trial to Begin in 18 Cities Around the World The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and Merck & Co., Inc. today announced that they have begun the first global clinical trial of Merck's HIV vaccine candidate in 18 cities around the world. The trial is the first study of an HIV vaccine candidate to take place in so many global locations simultaneously. The trial is also Read More...

June 18, 2003 Medicines Control Council approves first HIV vaccine trial in South Africa SAAVI announced today that the South African Medicines Control Council (MCC) has approved the first human clinical trial for a phase I HIV vaccine trial in South Africa. The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) is conducting the trial, which will involve 96 participants – 48 in the US and 48 in South Africa. Read More...

May 15, 2003 First HIV vaccine trial conducted simultaneously in the U.S. and in Africa now underway The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) has launched an international clinical trial that will test a promising HIV prevention vaccine candidate in humans. The vaccine, called EP HIV-1090, will be tested in 42 volunteers in the U.S. and Botswana. This trial has the multiple distinctions of being the first trial to be conducted simultaneously in the U.S. and Africa, the first HVTN trial to take place in Africa, and the first HVTN trial to be conducted simultaneously in the U.S. and abroad. Read More...

February 27, 2003 Results of Vaxgen's Phase III AIDSVAX B/B Trial VaxGen, Inc., the company that manufactures AIDSVAX, is conducting two large, Phase III clinical trials to determine the safety and efficacy of AIDSVAX in preventing HIV infection in people who are at risk of infection. One trial is being conducted in North America and Europe and the other in Thailand. Read More...

January 23, 2003 AIDS vaccine developed at Emory University moves to clinical trials A vaccine aimed against AIDS, developed at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, the Emory Vaccine Center, and the Laboratory of Viral Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will begin a Phase I clinical trial this week. Read More...

November 27, 2002 Revamped AIDS Web Site Tailored to Diverse Users AIDSinfo, a Web site offering comprehensive information on HIV/AIDS treatments and clinical trials, will go live on December 2 to mark World AIDS Day. The site at http://aidsinfo.nih.gov merges two popular information services, the HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service (ATIS) and the AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service (ACTIS). Catering to the needs of health care providers, researchers, people living with HIV/AIDS and the general public, the combined site provides a single, searchable resource of HIV/AIDS treatment guidelines and information about all federally funded and privately sponsored HIV/AIDS clinical trials. Read More...

July 09, 2002 New generation of HIV vaccines may reduce transmission of virus, and traditional prevention strategies needed for foreseeable future The principal investigator of the U.S. NIAID global HIV trials network said that while there has been important progress on a new generation of T cell-based HIV vaccines that may prove to delay the onset of AIDS symptoms and reduce transmission of the virus, traditional AIDS prevention measures must not be abandoned. Read More...

May 16, 2002 HVTN site activities for HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Domestic and international sites of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network will celebrate the 5th Annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day by engaging the public in a discussion on HIV vaccine research and trial participation. Read More...

May 16, 2002 HIV Vaccine Trials Network thanks trial participants, notes scientific advances and global expansion of trial capacity On this fifth annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, the 25 U.S. and international sites of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) salute the thousands of volunteers around the globe who have rolled up their sleeves to help find an HIV vaccine by participating in clinical trials. Read More...

February 25, 2002 Questions & Answers Regarding HVTN 501 Decision Questions & Answers Regarding HVTN 501 Decision Read More...

February 25, 2002 HVTN, Partners Review Phase II Trial Data Investigators and major collaborators of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) met yesterday to review data and discuss further plans regarding HVTN 203, a trial to test a prime boost strategy combining Aventis Pasteur’s ALVAC-HIV (vCP1452) and VaxGen’s AIDSVAX B/B. The data confirmed the safety of this combination, which is being used in other trials in the United States and abroad, and set the stage for discussions of how this vaccine combination may be further evaluated. Read More...

January 31, 2002 Start of first clinical trial with Glaxosmithkline Biologicals' HIV vaccine GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Biologicals) announces the start of the first trial in humans of its recombinant, adjuvanted candidate HIV vaccine - NefTat and gp 120 formulated with the proprietary adjuvant AS02. Read More...

December 20, 2001 NIAID and Merck to collaborate on HIV vaccine development The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the leading HIV research component of the United States government, has entered into an agreement with Merck & Co. to collaborate on human testing of promising candidate HIV vaccines developed by the company. Read More...

September 19, 2001 CDC Executive to Lead HIV Vaccine Trials Network CDC Executive to Lead HIV Vaccine Trials Network Dr. Judith N. Wasserheit joins leadership team at global vaccine initiative Read More...

May 18, 2001 HIV Vaccine Awareness Day reinforces importance of vaccines as best hope for fighting AIDS Four years after the inaugural HIV Vaccine Awareness Day in 1997, the momentum toward finding an effective vaccine continues to grow. Read More...