China to Test AIDS Vaccine on Human Next Year

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 29, 2001

China to Test AIDS Vaccine on Human Next Year

China is going to test its ever developed AIDS vaccine on human beings in the latter half of next year as learned from the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, and the whole inoculation process will cost no more than 100 yuan.

As a new type of AIDS vaccine, the research program was started in 1996 and it will soon enter into a clinical stage. Researchers have first sorted out specimens of special virus isolation in rife in China and developed vaccine accordingly. By now tests on animals have been completed and that on human beings is going to start from latter half of next year, which will last 1 to 1.5 years to see its safety effect. Then it will enter into the second and third clinical phases, in which comparison is going to be made between different volunteer groups to see its protective effect. All clinical tests are to be completed around 2006. The vaccine, like cocktail therapy, will be used together with other medicine to extend its protective effects because the virus is too sophisticated, according to Professor Shao Yiming, head of the program.

By now AIDS has developed into a widespread epidemic in the world. Although the anti-AIDS medicine has already come into being, it is however too expensive for the third world which are in dire need of it to use it.

By PD Online Staff Li Heng