Asian efforts in AIDS vaccine development step up

Regional efforts towards an AIDS vaccine must be strengthened and harmonized, says a new article in this week's PLoS Medicine Magazine. Yiming Shao from the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention in Beijing, China and colleagues from a range of Asian and international agencies announce the formation of AVAN—the AIDS Vaccine for Asia Network—that aims to strengthen its regional efforts in finding an AIDS vaccine.

The authors say that AVAN has been set up to help facilitate the development of a regional AIDS vaccine strategy that will: accelerate research and development of an AIDS vaccine through government advocacy, improved coordination and harmonization of research; develop clinical trial and manufacturing capacity; support ethical and regulatory frameworks; and ensure community participation.

More than 5 million people have already been infected with HIV across Asia, and another 500 million are considered at risk, say the authors.

More information:
Kent SJ, Cooper DA, Chhi Vun M, Shao Y, Zhang L, et al. (2010) AIDS Vaccine for Asia Network (AVAN): Expanding the Regional Role in Developing HIV Vaccines. PLoS Med 7(9): e1000331. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000331

Provided by Public Library of Science