Avac Event

SCOPE Community E-meeting: Developments in the HIV and STIs biomedical prevention pipeline

The European AIDS Treatment Group, along with European and local organizations are coming together for a virtual meeting via Zoom e-meeting on Wednesday, May 24 at 6:00 to 7:30 AM ET (12:00 – 13:30 PM CET).

This interactive e-meeting for community educators and advocates will provide an update on the latest developments in biomedical HIV and STIs prevention research and implementation, new approaches and future challenges. Participants will learn from each other and discuss community preferences, uptake and access issues, as well as advocacy efforts to overcome policy and financial barriers at local, regional and European level. Live interpretation in English and Russian will be provided. This meeting is part of the SCOPE Project.

Avac Event

Where Are We Now and What’s Next?: Mosaico Study Update

A Phase 3 study of an investigational HIV vaccine regimen has been discontinued following a planned, interim review by the study’s independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board. The investigational vaccine was generally safe and well tolerated; however, it was not effective at preventing the acquisition of HIV-1.

The results of the uniquely designed and implemented Mosaico study underscore the challenges that have faced the global scientific community in the 40-year search for an HIV vaccine, and may provide important data in the ongoing fight against HIV. Join the HIV Vaccine Trials Network and AVAC and key voices from the study including study investigators and community representatives in this important webinar as we will discuss the outcome of the Mosaico study, and discuss what these results mean and next steps.

View the recording here.

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Avac Event

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Webinar Series

This year marks the 25th anniversary of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. Nothing about HIV vaccine research has ever been easy, and this past year has shown us how difficult this research is, and how essential it continues to be.

Join us for a webinar series this month to mark important milestones in HIV vaccine development and discuss the path forward. The series is chaired by Bill Snow and Stacey Hannah and offers expert perspective on three angles that are critical to vaccine development: Platforms, Processes and Prospects.

Platforms & Pipelines
Wednesday May 18, 2022
The miracle of mRNA: What’s possible beyond SARS-CoV-2—understanding mRNA, its history and potential challenges for HIV vaccines. With Bart Haynes (Duke), Nina Russel (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and Ntando Yola (DTHF).
Recording and Slides: YouTube / Nina Russell’s Slides / Bart Haynes’ Slides

Processes
Tuesday May 24, 2022
The changed landscape of clinical research: the potential for experimental medicine vaccine trials in the current research environment. With Gail Broder (HVTN), Pontiano Kaleebu (MRC-UK) and Robin Shattock (Imperial College).
Recording and Slides: YouTube / Robin Shattock’s Slides / Gail Broder’s Slides / Pontiano Kaleebu’s Slides

Prospects
Tuesday May 31, 2022 @ 10.00am EDT
What have we learned, why it matters and what it means? Understanding recent results in HIV vaccine research and implications for the future. Unpacking results from Uhambo and Imbokodo trials and understanding the implications for the current pipeline of products. With Galit Alter (Harvard), William Kilembe (ZEHRP), Ethel Makila (IAVI) and Dale Hu (NIH).
Recording: YouTube

Avac Event

HVAD 2022 Webinar: Processes

On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, AVAC and partners held Processes, the second webinar in our HVAD 2022 webinar series. The moderators and panelists discussed the changed landscape of clinical research and the potential for experimental medicine vaccine trials in the current research environment.

Moderators:
Panelists:

Recording and Slides: YouTube / Robin Shattock’s Slides / Gail Broder’s Slides / Pontiano Kaleebu’s Slides

Avac Event

HVAD 2022 Webinar: Prospects

On Tuesday, May 31, AVAC and partners held Prospects, the third webinar in our HVAD 2022 webinar series. The moderators and panelists discussed the what we have learned, why it matters and what it means. They looked at recent results in HIV vaccine research and implications for the future, unpacked results from Uhambo and Imbokodo trials and talked about the implications for the current pipeline of products.

Moderators:
Panelists:

Watch the recording here.

Avac Event

HVAD 2022 Webinar: Platforms & Pipelines

On Wednesday, May 18, 2022, AVAC and partners held Platforms & Pipelines, the first webinar in our HVAD 2022 webinar series. The moderators and panelists will discussed the miracle of mRNA—its history and potential challenges for HIV vaccines and what’s possible beyond SARS-CoV-2.

Moderators:
Panelists:

Recording and Slides: YouTube / Nina Russell’s Slides / Bart Haynes’ Slides

Avac Event

Imbokodo Vaccine Trial Results and Implications for the Field—A Global Discussion

Johnson & Johnson and partners announced that the Imbokodo study, a large-scale HIV vaccine proof-of-concept trial also known as HVTN 705/HPX2008, did not significantly reduce the overall risk of HIV acquisition among over 2,600 women in five sub-Saharan African countries.

On September 9, AVAC held a global webinar to discuss this development and the implications for the HIV vaccine field. Watch the recording.

Avac Event

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) 2021

May 18 is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD), a day when partners around the world join to celebrate the people, partnerships and science pushing ever closer to a safe, efficacious and accessible vaccine against HIV. Check out our HVAD 2021 page for materials and information to support advocacy, action and more.

Avac Event

HIV Vaccines in the Midst of COVID

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is just around the corner—May 18th! AVAC hosted a webinar, HIV Vaccines in the Midst of COVID, on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

Expert researchers and advocates discussed major issues and advances in HIV vaccine R&D and the impacts of COVID-19 on vaccine research and delivery. The conversation explored the lessons learned to date and how they serve as a warning, a model, and a body of evidence on the need for accelerated vaccine development and comprehensive strategies for equitable global access.

The moderated panel discussion included Barney Graham of the NIH Vaccine Research Center, who helped develop the mRNA vaccine technology; Pontiano Kaleebu of the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit who helps lead the PrEPVacc trial; Linda-Gail Bekker of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation who is involved in cutting-edge HIV vaccine research and COVID vaccine delivery; and Matthew Rose of Health GAP and Definate Nhamo of PZAT who deal with the wide range of issues of confidence in vaccine research AND delivery.

We hope you’ll enjoy this rich conversation and make the most of your advocacy around HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on May 18.

Recording and Slides: YouTube / Slides

Avac Event

Webinar: HVTN 702 updates and next steps

Recently, leaders of HVTN 702 HIV vaccine efficacy trial in South Africa (also known as Uhambo), announced that vaccinations would be stopped early because the vaccine candidate did not prevent HIV. Importantly, there were no safety concerns. Since then, conversations have ensued—from local and global levels—to understand the result and its implications for the future of HIV vaccine development.

AVAC and Advocacy for the Prevention of HIV and AIDS (APHA) held a global webinar on Wednesday, February 19 to discuss the latest updates on these conversations and reflect on how they may impact HIV prevention globally.

The call provided civil society perspectives from APHA and the Vaccine Resource Advocacy Group (VARG), updates from HVTN 702 researchers, and broader context of HIV vaccine development from the United States NIH’s Division of AIDS (DAIDS).

HVTN 702 is one of several Phase III vaccine trials ongoing at this time. HVTN 705/ HPX2008 (Imbokodo), HVTN 706/HPX3002 (Mosaico) and the PrEPVacc Study are all exploring novel HIV vaccine candidates. Broadly neutralizing antibodies and additional ARV-based prevention options are also in large-scale trials. Though the failure to find efficacy with HVTN 702 represents a disappointment, unflagging momentum in research must continue. It’s crucial to understand these results and the scientific contribution they will make to a future, urgently needed vaccine.

A recording of the webinar can be found here.