A team of researchers working out of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials of an HIV vaccine on humans beginning in January. What makes this vaccine different from the handful of others in development around the world is that it uses dead HIV-1 virus, in a similar methodology that led to vaccines for polio, rabies and hepatitis A. More »
It’s pretty amazing that there’s already one pill used to beat back HIV in the body – but now there’s another. The FDA’s approved Efavirenz, which, when used with other drugs, drops the virus’ presence inside patients. Lives saved. [AP]
A trial that had originally been planned to run until 2015, testing whether treating an HIV-infected person with antiretroviral drugs could prevent that person from passing the disease along to his partner, stopped today. Because it was so successful. More »
Scientists have discovered three very strong antibodies which kill various HIV strains. The strongest of these antibodies actually manages to neutralise 91 per cent of known HIV strains. While this isn’t exactly a cure to HIV or AIDS, it’s certainly a step in the right direction. [WSJ]
