2010 AVAC Report: Turning the Page

The AVAC 2010 Report, Turning the Page, highlights that the biomedical prevention field is entering the next chapter of its development. The past year brought the first evidence, from the Thai Prime-Boost trial, that an AIDS vaccine could prevent HIV in humans, as well as significant preclinical findings around potent, HIV-specific neutralizing antibodies.

At the same time, two microbicide trials testing the candidate PRO 2000 yielded seemingly different, but ultimately disappointing results, and the field now prepares for the release of results from CAPRISA 004, the first ARV-based microbicide effectiveness trial.

2009 AVAC Report: Piecing Together the HIV Prevention Puzzle

The 2009 AVAC Report, Piecing Together the HIV Prevention Puzzle, took inspiration from a quotation in the 2006-2008 review of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, which states that the ultimate goal “is to develop a vaccine that prevents HIV infection or disease, anything less than that can be characterized as progress, but not success.”

The first section of the Report, “Puzzling Out Progress,” reports on the AIDS vaccine field, where there’s an energized focus on discovery, innovation, and basic science. The second section, “Puzzling Out Success,” turns to the implications of PrEP and other strategies in efficacy trials today. Throughout, it is argued that success will depend on combination approaches: on research plus implementation; on vaccines plus PrEP, should either show benefit; and on communities plus researchers working towards common goals.

2008 AVAC Report: The Search Must Continue

The 2008 AVAC Report, The Search Must Continue, provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in AIDS vaccine research. It explores the issues that have been raised in the wake of the failure of Merck’s vaccine candidate and provides context for the events and major changes of the last year in HIV prevention research.

2007 AVAC Report: Resetting the Clock

The three sections of this year’s report outline some specific deadlines and challenges in AIDS vaccine scientific strategy, clinical trials, and the broader realm of HIV prevention. These arenas mesh like watch gears, and must function just as smoothly if the field is to proceed.

2006 AVAC Report: AIDS Vaccines: The Next Frontiers

In this report, AVAC offers its first contribution to the scenario planning critical to the success of the field. The next several years bring a variety of scenarios which cannot be encountered unprepared. Instead, the AIDS vaccine field, and the field of prevention research in general, must engage in rigorous debate, dialogue and scenario planning which anticipates the issues that the next few years will bring, and ensures that the wide range of stakeholders are informed and empowered to make decisions to compete against the virus. In this report, four thought-provoking chapters are presented, each of which begins with a future scenario that considers how the world might look in five or six or ten years’ time.

Comment Letter to Ambassador Goosby on Draft PEPFAR Country Operational Plan for Zambia

This four-page letter on behalf of the civil society coalition in Zambia discusses recommendations for PEPFAR’s Country Operating Plan. The letter calls for stronger benchmarks and increased investment in several HIV prevention modalities. 

HIV/AIDS in Uganda: 30 Years On! – A case for treatment as prevention approach

This report by 2012 AVAC Advocacy Fellow Alice Kayongo-Mutebi describes successes and challenges in a year-long campaign to expand access to antiretroviral treatment for HIV positive people in Uganda. It includes sections on the history of Uganda’s AIDS response, achievements in the work of a Ugandan civil society coalition seeking to improve ART access. It describes challenges and makes recommendations for future work. 

We can use it if it’s made for us: Kenyan Sex workers perspectives and Voices on Microbicides and PrEP

This report gathers perceptions and concerns from female sex works in Kenya concerning access to microbicides and PrEP. It highlights the importance of engaging this key population in product research and development. 

Too Little Too Slow: Results from from civil society monitoring of male circumcision for HIV prevention in Uganda

A jointly-authored report by Ugandan civil society groups taking stock of progress and challenges in Uganda’s voluntary medical male circumcision program as of 2012. Makes recommendations for future action, and highlights examples of best practices in the country.

FDA’s Advisory Committee Review of Daily Oral Truvada as PrEP to Reduce the Risk of HIV Infection: An advocate’s primer for public participation

This primer was developed to help advocates understand the mechanism of the US Food and Drug Administration’s external advisory committee. It was specifically developed in preparation for the US FDA review of Truvada for use as PrEP in 2012. It offers a guide to the workings of the external advisory committee (a set of outside experts who make recommendations) and ways for civil society to participate in the process.