Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, January 17, 2004
US company to test HIV vaccine on people
The US biotech company Chiron Corp. has decided to test an experimental HIV vaccine on people to assess whether it is safe and bolsters the immune system, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
The US biotech company Chiron Corp. has decided to test an experimental HIV vaccine on people to assess whether it is safe and bolsters the immune system, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
The two-year study will involve about 168 uninfected individuals in the United States, the company said. Chiron is working with the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, a research effort supported by the US National Institutes of Health.
Scientists have been trying to develop an HIV vaccine since the1980s. Companies that are working on experimental vaccines include adrug makers Merck & Co. and Aventis and VaxGen Inc., a biotechnology company.
"This is an area where there hasn't been a lot of progress made," said Eric Schmidt, an analyst at US market research company SG Cowen Securities Corp. "It's a major challenge for anyone. It's unclear when, if ever, there will be an HIV vaccine on the market."