From the Lab to the Jab: Lessons learned and what’s next in HIV vaccine research
AVAC’s issue briefs, From the Lab to the Jab, cover the barriers to, and solutions for equitable access to vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. During this webinar, an expert panel discussed lessons learned, an international initiative for vaccine development, and how research and access can be improved.
Moderators:
Mitchell Warren, AVAC
Tracy Swan, AVAC and Make Medicines Affordable Campaign
Panelists:
Dr. Jerome Kim, International Vaccine Institute
Dr. Els Torreele, æqua
Othoman Mellouk, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition
It’s considered one of the most important and most difficult scientific enterprises in the history of modern medicine—the hunt for an HIV vaccine. It has led to vast knowledge of HIV and the immune system, and to breakthrough technology (think COVID vaccines and mRNA platforms). But developing an effective HIV vaccine is still out of reach. Meanwhile, HIV incidence remains intractably high in hard-hit regions around the world, even as the field is hoping to speed up access to longer-acting PrEP. It’s a complex landscape, alongside incredibly complex science in HIV vaccine R&D.
In this episode of PxPulse, Dr. Nina Russell, Director of TB & HIV Research and Development for the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, talks about where she sees promise in the science, the goals for an HIV vaccine, and why it has an essential role to play, alongside the scale up of PrEP.
The Years Ahead in Biomedical HIV Prevention Research
This graphic shows the updated status of large-scale prevention trials through the end of 2024.
HIV Vaccine and Antibody Efficacy Trials to Date
This infographic provides a comprehensive overview of HIV vaccine and antibody efficacy trials. Over 20 years and 12 trials, only two positive signals have been observed.
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Just What is Discovery Medicine? And What Does it Mean for HIV Vaccine Research?
Participants joined to gain a broad understanding of Discovery Medicine including an overview of the current landscape for HIV vaccines. We also discussed what it means for HIV vaccine research and development moving forward, with a focus on community and advocacy priorities.
Speakers:
Dr. Betty Mwesigwa, Makerere University Walter Reed Project
Tian Johnson, BRILLIANT HIV Vaccine Discovery Consortium
Dr. Cathy Slack, HIV AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group
Dr. Sandhya Vasan, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, US Military HIV Research Program
Moderators:
Stacey Hannah, AVAC
Louis Shackelford, HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) & COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN)
The 31st annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) kicks off this weekend, and runs from March 3-6 in Denver, Colorado. CROI is the go-to forum for groundbreaking science in the HIV field, and this years’ program is full of exciting new research.
At AVAC, we’re tracking data and discussion on long-acting, injectable PrEP; the dapvirine vaginal ring (DVR) in pregnancy; doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis (DoxyPEP) to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and the latest in HIV cure and control. We’re also very excited for this year’s Martin Delaney Presentation – Unveiling the Power of Uganda’s LGBTIQ Advocacy in Shaping HIV Response and Health Care Access – that will be delivered by Frank Mugisha of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) in Uganda and couldn’t be more timely. Be sure to check out the conference program.
AVAC and partners have worked to follow and explain the research presented at CROI for many years, making the science more accessible, connecting the findings to community priorities, and ensuring civil society and affected communities are represented within the program, and ultimately the research. For those attending or not, this email shares ways to follow along and join in the discussion and debate.
Follow Along Be part of the conversation by following AVAC on X (Twitter) at @hivpxresearch for real-time updates using the conference hashtag #CROI2024, and be sure to sign up and follow our partner, Aidsmap, who will be reporting from the conference.
Community Breakfast Clubs (CROI registration not required Join the CROI Community Liaisons, AVAC, the European AIDS Treatment Group, and partners for daily Community Breakfast Clubs. These virtual webinars feature researchers and advocates discussing some of the most consequential science being presented at CROI. They are open to all, CROI registrants and non-registrants alike.
Monday, 4 March, 7:00am – 8:00am MT (Click here to determine the time in your location.)
Looking forward to seeing you at the daily Breakfast Club sessions and to working together to unpack the research and be sure it is applied!
Best, AVAC
Webinars to Look Out for in February!
2024 is off and running and a slew of webinars are on the calendar. This selection of topics is both broad and deep, providing updates on the pipeline from cure to vaccines, insights on critical advocacy, a conversation with the new director of NIAID, and opportunities for you to engage. Scroll down for what’s coming up and recordings of webinars from December and January that you may have missed.
WACI Health and The Choice Agenda invite you to join us for a webinar introducing key initiatives of the Africa CDC and the African Union. It will illuminate roles for civil society and community engagement. Register here.
Join The Choice Agenda for an overview of the newest cycle of the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network! This webinar includes highlights of: ATN 165: Linking Youth to PrEP Services, which tests an innovative mobile delivery and mHealth intervention for PrEP adherence and persistence among sexual minority men; ATN 167: Legal, Economic, and Affirming Peer Support (LEAP) for transgender and gender diverse youth; and how the network prioritizes and amplifies the voices of youth directly impacted by the ATN’s pivotal research. Register here.
This webinar is intended for anyone interested in applying to participate in AVAC’s Advocacy Navigator program. The session will provide an overview of the program, expectations, eligibility, and application process, followed by Q&A with the AVAC team.
Through the Media Science Café Program, AVAC partners with health media associations in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe to bring journalists together with researchers, implementers, civil society, policy makers, regulators and policy makers to build relationships that will foster accurate reporting of HIV, COVID and other science or health stories in those countries. Learn about the model! Recording, slides and resources.
This webinar reviewed key aspects of PrEPVacc, including its innovative study design, implementation, integrated social science, and data analysis plans. An engaging conversation about what we’ve learned from PrEPVacc, what we can still learn, and what this may mean for the HIV prevention field. Recording, slides and resources.
Check out our 4-part webinar series on cervical cancer, which featured a deep dive on: what cervical cancer is, who is impacted, and prevention and treatment options; advocacy strategies to bring more attention to cervical cancer and its impact on communities; options for screening and treating cervical cancer along with ongoing research; and the impact of cervical cancer on key populations and those vulnerable to HIV infections. Recording, slides and resources.
Learn more about the townhall discussion on Black Gay Men and HIV in the US featuring influential figures in the Black Gay community, including Ace Robinson, Daniel D. Driffin, and Kenyon Farrow by checking out highlights on AVAC’s Twitter page and watch the full recording.
Thanks for checking out these conversations. We hope you will join us in these rich discussions and watch this space for future webinars!
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AVAC in Conversation with NIAID’s Jeanne Marrazzo
The new director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo joined AVAC Executive Director in conversation.
Upcoming Webinars and Workshops You Won’t Want to Miss!
Happy New Year! We hope you had good holidays and are ready for all that we need to do in 2024. To get started, kick-off the new year with an exciting lineup of webinars and workshops that will set a foundation for our collective advocacy in the year ahead. Read on for details!
PrEPVacc: An in-depth look at the trial, and what’s next
January 11, 9:30-11:00 am EST
Join the PrEPVacc team and AVAC to review the PrEPVacc trial, which is testing two different vaccine candidates and two daily oral PrEP regimens. Join us to learn about PrEPVacc’s innovative study design and implementation, how the trial integrated social and behavioral science, details on the latest decision to discontinue vaccinations, and what the results mean to the field. Register here
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and AVAC is sponsoring a series of webinars to help advocates who care about sexual and reproductive health and rights to understand who is impacted by cervical cancer, what it means for key populations, its intersection with HIV, and the status of treatment and prevention. Register here for topics that interest you most or the full series.
Cervical Cancer: What, where, and prevention and treatment options
Reporting the African Science Story: Decoding scientific research to support public health in Africa
January 23, 9:30-11:00 am EST
The Media Science Cafés bring together journalists, researchers, implementers, civil society, policy makers, and regulators to build relationships that will foster accurate reporting of HIV, COVID and other science or health stories in those countries. Learn more about this model, lessons learned and why relationships across these fields are a must for advancing HIV prevention and global health.
This regional workshop sponsored by the Academic Medical Education platform of Virology Education is for healthcare providers, researchers, government, industry, and community representatives to increase their knowledge of issues related to HIV and women living in Africa. Early-career investigators will also have opportunities to present their research and meet with experts. Organizers will use this hybrid workshop as a launch for ongoing participant engagement, identifying partnerships, projects and continuing collaboration.
PrEPVacc: An in-depth look at the trial, and what’s next
During this webinar, the PrEPVacc team and AVAC reviewed the status of the PrEPVacc trial. PrEPVacc, a 3-in-1 trial testing two different vaccine candidates (plus placebo arm) and two daily oral PrEP regimens, recently discontinued vaccinations in the trial due to an independent data review board’s conclusion that the vaccines were having no effect in preventing HIV infection. On this call, we will review key aspects of PrEPVacc, including its innovative study design, implementation, integrated social science, and data analysis plans. Speakers engaged in conversation about what we’ve learned from PrEPVacc, what we can still learn, and what this may mean for the HIV prevention field.
PrEPVacc Trial Design: Sheena McCormack, PrEPVacc Project Lead, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, UK
Trial Implementation and Baseline Data: Eugene Ruzagira, PrEPVacc Trial Director, MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
Integrated Social Science: Rachel Kawuma, PrEPVacc Social Scientist, MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
Analysis Plan: Sheila Kansiime, PrEPVacc Statistician, MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
