Merck's Experimental AIDS Vaccine Fails

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/22/2007 2:36:09 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

For further thought:

Think of how many people had to be practising unsafe sex to get that sort of rate of infection.

Think of how many people YOU have had sex with in your life.

Think of how many people have multiple partners in their lives.

This part of the math, as applied to all STD's not just AIDS, is what keeps me in line.

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[Guest guest]

Officials at the company, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., said 24 of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of theexperiment later became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a comparison group of volunteers who got dummy shots, 21 of 762 participants also became infected.

Look at those numbers folks. 45 of 1,503 got infected with HIV.

That's about one out of every 33.4 people.

You'd think THAT would be the headline.

For further thought:

Think of how many people had to be practising unsafe sex to get that sort of rate of infection.

Think of how many people YOU have had sex with in your life.

Think of how many people have multiple partners in their lives.

Think of how many people are going to die from AIDS over the coming years.

Tom

Administrator

[Guest guest]

>

>

> In a message dated 9/22/2007 2:36:09 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> no_reply writes:

>

> For further thought:

> Think of how many people had to be practising unsafe sex to get that

sort of

> rate of infection.

> Think of how many people YOU have had sex with in your life.

> Think of how many people have multiple partners in their lives.

>

>

> This part of the math, as applied to all STD's not just AIDS, is

what keeps

> me in line.

Doing research on a vaccine for aids where you send people out to have

unprotected sex with multiple partners is like using untested

materials to build a new dike around the New Orleans bowl and asking

people to move back in there and see if it works the next time there's

a major hurricane.

The prevention is so obvious, and yet they toil in vain at the cost of

lives.

[Guest guest]

>

>

> In a message dated 9/22/2007 2:36:09 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> no_reply writes:

>

> For further thought:

> Think of how many people had to be practising unsafe sex to get that

sort of

> rate of infection.

> Think of how many people YOU have had sex with in your life.

> Think of how many people have multiple partners in their lives.

>

>

> This part of the math, as applied to all STD's not just AIDS, is

what keeps

> me in line.

Doing research on a vaccine for aids where you send people out to have

unprotected sex with multiple partners is like using untested

materials to build a new dike around the New Orleans bowl and asking

people to move back in there and see if it works the next time there's

a major hurricane.

The prevention is so obvious, and yet they toil in vain at the cost of

lives.

[Guest guest]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gLCTkY4dHmXWHR-SKFi-4GeRDajg

Merck's Experimental AIDS Vaccine Fails

By LINDA A. JOHNSON – 2 days ago

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — In a disappointing setback, a promising

experimental AIDS vaccine failed to work in a large international

test, leading the developer to halt the study. Merck & Co. said Friday

that it is ending enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in the

study, which was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.

It was a high-profile failure in the daunting quest to develop a

vaccine to prevent AIDS. Merck's vaccine was the farthest along and

was closely watched by experts in the field.

Officials at the company, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., said 24

of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of the experiment

later became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a

comparison group of volunteers who got dummy shots, 21 of 762

participants also became infected.

" It's very disappointing news, " said Gottesdiener, head of

Merck's clinical infectious disease and vaccine research group. " A

major effort to develop a vaccine for HIV really did not deliver on

the promise. "

Zwick, an HIV researcher at Scripps Research Institute, said

the vaccine's failure is unfortunate. But he said it's too soon to

know if other vaccines using the same strategy would also fail.

" It's par for the course in the HIV field, " he said of the Merck result.

The volunteers in the experiment were all free of HIV at the start.

But they were at high risk for getting the virus: Most were homosexual

men or female sex workers. They were all repeatedly counseled about

how to reduce their risk of HIV infections, including use of condoms,

according to Merck.

In a statement, the NIH said a data safety monitoring board, reviewing

interim results, found the vaccine did not prevent HIV infection. Nor

did it limit severity of the disease " in those who become infected

with HIV as a result of their own behaviors that exposed them to the

virus " — another goal of the study.

Merck's was the first major test of a new strategy to prevent HIV

infection. The first wave of attempts to develop a vaccine tried to

stimulate antibodies against the virus, but that hasn't worked so far.

The new effort — an approach that Gottesdiener said is being tried in

most other current research — is aimed at making the body produce more

of a crucial immune cell called killer T cells. The goal is to

simultaneously " train " those cells, like an army, to quickly recognize

and destroy the AIDS virus when it enters cells in the bloodstream.

Zwick said some researchers still are working on vaccines to

neutralize the AIDS virus. He thinks ultimately what's needed is one

that combines that approach with a way to stimulate and train killer T

cells.

Merck and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, an international

collaboration of researchers and institutions funded by the NIH,

co-sponsored the study. The experiment, called STEP, began in December

2004 and had enrolled 3,000 volunteers in Australia, Brazil, Canada,

the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico and the

United States.

The results announced Friday involved volunteers who researchers

thought would benefit most because they had never been exposed to the

particular cold virus used in the vaccine.

Wall Street, on a generally upbeat day, showed little reaction to the

news, with Merck shares rising 44 cents to $51.82.

Analyst Steve Brozak of WBB Securities said the vaccine was considered

the most promising candidate both by Wall Street and the science

community. He said a vaccine is the only financially feasible way to

fight the AIDS epidemic in poor countries and that the company that

comes up with the first successful shot would have " a license to print

money. "

" You're talking about a Carl Sagan kind of number — billions and

billions " of dollars, he said.

The Merck vaccine, known only as V520, also was being tested in a

similar study in South Africa and in two smaller studies, which also

were halted.

The Merck vaccine failure is a " deep disappointment and a scientific

setback for the AIDS vaccine field, " the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy

Coalition said in a statement. However, the nonprofit group added that

" while this is a disappointment, it is in no way the end of the search

for an AIDS vaccine. "

[Guest guest]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gLCTkY4dHmXWHR-SKFi-4GeRDajg

Merck's Experimental AIDS Vaccine Fails

By LINDA A. JOHNSON – 2 days ago

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — In a disappointing setback, a promising

experimental AIDS vaccine failed to work in a large international

test, leading the developer to halt the study. Merck & Co. said Friday

that it is ending enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in the

study, which was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.

It was a high-profile failure in the daunting quest to develop a

vaccine to prevent AIDS. Merck's vaccine was the farthest along and

was closely watched by experts in the field.

Officials at the company, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., said 24

of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of the experiment

later became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a

comparison group of volunteers who got dummy shots, 21 of 762

participants also became infected.

" It's very disappointing news, " said Gottesdiener, head of

Merck's clinical infectious disease and vaccine research group. " A

major effort to develop a vaccine for HIV really did not deliver on

the promise. "

Zwick, an HIV researcher at Scripps Research Institute, said

the vaccine's failure is unfortunate. But he said it's too soon to

know if other vaccines using the same strategy would also fail.

" It's par for the course in the HIV field, " he said of the Merck result.

The volunteers in the experiment were all free of HIV at the start.

But they were at high risk for getting the virus: Most were homosexual

men or female sex workers. They were all repeatedly counseled about

how to reduce their risk of HIV infections, including use of condoms,

according to Merck.

In a statement, the NIH said a data safety monitoring board, reviewing

interim results, found the vaccine did not prevent HIV infection. Nor

did it limit severity of the disease " in those who become infected

with HIV as a result of their own behaviors that exposed them to the

virus " — another goal of the study.

Merck's was the first major test of a new strategy to prevent HIV

infection. The first wave of attempts to develop a vaccine tried to

stimulate antibodies against the virus, but that hasn't worked so far.

The new effort — an approach that Gottesdiener said is being tried in

most other current research — is aimed at making the body produce more

of a crucial immune cell called killer T cells. The goal is to

simultaneously " train " those cells, like an army, to quickly recognize

and destroy the AIDS virus when it enters cells in the bloodstream.

Zwick said some researchers still are working on vaccines to

neutralize the AIDS virus. He thinks ultimately what's needed is one

that combines that approach with a way to stimulate and train killer T

cells.

Merck and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, an international

collaboration of researchers and institutions funded by the NIH,

co-sponsored the study. The experiment, called STEP, began in December

2004 and had enrolled 3,000 volunteers in Australia, Brazil, Canada,

the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico and the

United States.

The results announced Friday involved volunteers who researchers

thought would benefit most because they had never been exposed to the

particular cold virus used in the vaccine.

Wall Street, on a generally upbeat day, showed little reaction to the

news, with Merck shares rising 44 cents to $51.82.

Analyst Steve Brozak of WBB Securities said the vaccine was considered

the most promising candidate both by Wall Street and the science

community. He said a vaccine is the only financially feasible way to

fight the AIDS epidemic in poor countries and that the company that

comes up with the first successful shot would have " a license to print

money. "

" You're talking about a Carl Sagan kind of number — billions and

billions " of dollars, he said.

The Merck vaccine, known only as V520, also was being tested in a

similar study in South Africa and in two smaller studies, which also

were halted.

The Merck vaccine failure is a " deep disappointment and a scientific

setback for the AIDS vaccine field, " the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy

Coalition said in a statement. However, the nonprofit group added that

" while this is a disappointment, it is in no way the end of the search

for an AIDS vaccine. "

[Guest guest]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gLCTkY4dHmXWHR-SKFi-4GeRDajg

Merck's Experimental AIDS Vaccine Fails

By LINDA A. JOHNSON – 2 days ago

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — In a disappointing setback, a promising

experimental AIDS vaccine failed to work in a large international

test, leading the developer to halt the study. Merck & Co. said Friday

that it is ending enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in the

study, which was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.

It was a high-profile failure in the daunting quest to develop a

vaccine to prevent AIDS. Merck's vaccine was the farthest along and

was closely watched by experts in the field.

Officials at the company, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., said 24

of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of the experiment

later became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a

comparison group of volunteers who got dummy shots, 21 of 762

participants also became infected.

" It's very disappointing news, " said Gottesdiener, head of

Merck's clinical infectious disease and vaccine research group. " A

major effort to develop a vaccine for HIV really did not deliver on

the promise. "

Zwick, an HIV researcher at Scripps Research Institute, said

the vaccine's failure is unfortunate. But he said it's too soon to

know if other vaccines using the same strategy would also fail.

" It's par for the course in the HIV field, " he said of the Merck result.

The volunteers in the experiment were all free of HIV at the start.

But they were at high risk for getting the virus: Most were homosexual

men or female sex workers. They were all repeatedly counseled about

how to reduce their risk of HIV infections, including use of condoms,

according to Merck.

In a statement, the NIH said a data safety monitoring board, reviewing

interim results, found the vaccine did not prevent HIV infection. Nor

did it limit severity of the disease " in those who become infected

with HIV as a result of their own behaviors that exposed them to the

virus " — another goal of the study.

Merck's was the first major test of a new strategy to prevent HIV

infection. The first wave of attempts to develop a vaccine tried to

stimulate antibodies against the virus, but that hasn't worked so far.

The new effort — an approach that Gottesdiener said is being tried in

most other current research — is aimed at making the body produce more

of a crucial immune cell called killer T cells. The goal is to

simultaneously " train " those cells, like an army, to quickly recognize

and destroy the AIDS virus when it enters cells in the bloodstream.

Zwick said some researchers still are working on vaccines to

neutralize the AIDS virus. He thinks ultimately what's needed is one

that combines that approach with a way to stimulate and train killer T

cells.

Merck and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, an international

collaboration of researchers and institutions funded by the NIH,

co-sponsored the study. The experiment, called STEP, began in December

2004 and had enrolled 3,000 volunteers in Australia, Brazil, Canada,

the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico and the

United States.

The results announced Friday involved volunteers who researchers

thought would benefit most because they had never been exposed to the

particular cold virus used in the vaccine.

Wall Street, on a generally upbeat day, showed little reaction to the

news, with Merck shares rising 44 cents to $51.82.

Analyst Steve Brozak of WBB Securities said the vaccine was considered

the most promising candidate both by Wall Street and the science

community. He said a vaccine is the only financially feasible way to

fight the AIDS epidemic in poor countries and that the company that

comes up with the first successful shot would have " a license to print

money. "

" You're talking about a Carl Sagan kind of number — billions and

billions " of dollars, he said.

The Merck vaccine, known only as V520, also was being tested in a

similar study in South Africa and in two smaller studies, which also

were halted.

The Merck vaccine failure is a " deep disappointment and a scientific

setback for the AIDS vaccine field, " the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy

Coalition said in a statement. However, the nonprofit group added that

" while this is a disappointment, it is in no way the end of the search

for an AIDS vaccine. "

[Guest guest]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gLCTkY4dHmXWHR-SKFi-4GeRDajg

Merck's Experimental AIDS Vaccine Fails

By LINDA A. JOHNSON – 2 days ago

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — In a disappointing setback, a promising

experimental AIDS vaccine failed to work in a large international

test, leading the developer to halt the study. Merck & Co. said Friday

that it is ending enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in the

study, which was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.

It was a high-profile failure in the daunting quest to develop a

vaccine to prevent AIDS. Merck's vaccine was the farthest along and

was closely watched by experts in the field.

Officials at the company, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., said 24

of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of the experiment

later became infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a

comparison group of volunteers who got dummy shots, 21 of 762

participants also became infected.

" It's very disappointing news, " said Gottesdiener, head of

Merck's clinical infectious disease and vaccine research group. " A

major effort to develop a vaccine for HIV really did not deliver on

the promise. "

Zwick, an HIV researcher at Scripps Research Institute, said

the vaccine's failure is unfortunate. But he said it's too soon to

know if other vaccines using the same strategy would also fail.

" It's par for the course in the HIV field, " he said of the Merck result.

The volunteers in the experiment were all free of HIV at the start.

But they were at high risk for getting the virus: Most were homosexual

men or female sex workers. They were all repeatedly counseled about

how to reduce their risk of HIV infections, including use of condoms,

according to Merck.

In a statement, the NIH said a data safety monitoring board, reviewing

interim results, found the vaccine did not prevent HIV infection. Nor

did it limit severity of the disease " in those who become infected

with HIV as a result of their own behaviors that exposed them to the

virus " — another goal of the study.

Merck's was the first major test of a new strategy to prevent HIV

infection. The first wave of attempts to develop a vaccine tried to

stimulate antibodies against the virus, but that hasn't worked so far.

The new effort — an approach that Gottesdiener said is being tried in

most other current research — is aimed at making the body produce more

of a crucial immune cell called killer T cells. The goal is to

simultaneously " train " those cells, like an army, to quickly recognize

and destroy the AIDS virus when it enters cells in the bloodstream.

Zwick said some researchers still are working on vaccines to

neutralize the AIDS virus. He thinks ultimately what's needed is one

that combines that approach with a way to stimulate and train killer T

cells.

Merck and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, an international

collaboration of researchers and institutions funded by the NIH,

co-sponsored the study. The experiment, called STEP, began in December

2004 and had enrolled 3,000 volunteers in Australia, Brazil, Canada,

the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico and the

United States.

The results announced Friday involved volunteers who researchers

thought would benefit most because they had never been exposed to the

particular cold virus used in the vaccine.

Wall Street, on a generally upbeat day, showed little reaction to the

news, with Merck shares rising 44 cents to $51.82.

Analyst Steve Brozak of WBB Securities said the vaccine was considered

the most promising candidate both by Wall Street and the science

community. He said a vaccine is the only financially feasible way to

fight the AIDS epidemic in poor countries and that the company that

comes up with the first successful shot would have " a license to print

money. "

" You're talking about a Carl Sagan kind of number — billions and

billions " of dollars, he said.

The Merck vaccine, known only as V520, also was being tested in a

similar study in South Africa and in two smaller studies, which also

were halted.

The Merck vaccine failure is a " deep disappointment and a scientific

setback for the AIDS vaccine field, " the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy

Coalition said in a statement. However, the nonprofit group added that

" while this is a disappointment, it is in no way the end of the search

for an AIDS vaccine. "