5 ms·
Easy to miss: "The recent human trials involved 30 healthy volunteers, where 24 were treated with MVA-B, while the other 6 were treated with a placebo, carried
by sgentle 15y ago
Easy to miss: "The recent human trials involved 30 healthy volunteers, where 24 were treated with MVA-B, while the other 6 were treated with a placebo, carried out over a 48 week period."
This test was done on healthy volunteers, not ones with HIV. Although it's promising that 90% of the patients showed an immune response, we don't know how well that immune response translates into therapeutic benefit until it's trialled on HIV-positive patients.
- palish 15y agoIsn't the point of a vaccine to prevent, not cure? EDIT: thanks guys, but I have enough upvotes. My comment didn't add much to HN. Wasn't actually trying to prove him wrong -- I thought I'd missed something and was asking for clarification.
- corin_ 15y agoYes, that is the point - somewhat ironically missed by the "easy to miss" comment's owner.
- sgentle 15y agoHa, oops. I don't know how I managed to mix up vaccine and cure - my brain must be asleep. Thanks for pointing it out.
- palish 15y agoNo worries. I get mixed up every day.
- burgerbrain 15y agoThat certainly is the common point, however (provided the patient is strong enough to survive the additional initial strain) shouldn't it also kickstart an immune response in patients who are already infected? And once that starts, shouldn't that likely help fight the infection? I don't know myself, I know next to nothing about medicine.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- vibragiel 15y agoIt might. While this trial was meant to check if this vaccine could help prevent or restrain the infection (a prophylactic), in the same press conference¹ where these results were presented, the authors announced they were about to conduct a second phase I trial, this time to check for therapeutic effects on infected individuals. 1. http://www.cienciatk.csic.es/Videos/PRESENTACION+DE+LOS+RESULTADOS+DE+LA+NUEVA+VACUNA+PREVENTIVA+CONTRA+EL+VIH_25822.html http://www.cienciatk.csic.es/Videos/PRESENTACION+DE+LOS+RESU... (Spanish)
- cjensen 15y agoCorrect. Phase 1 is where they check to see if the vaccine is safe. Considering the history of HIV Vaccines, it's way too early to get excited.
- StrawberryFrog 15y agoAs others have pointed out, a the point of a "phase 1 trial" is to find out how safe the treatment is. This drug passed. Once that is done, how well it works is the Phase 2. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial#Phases http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial#Phases