Rationale: This trial tests a vaccine strategy with two candidates given in a sequence called a "prime-boost" strategy. The first vaccine in the series, a DNA vaccine "prime," was designed to induce cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses. The second vaccine, which combines synthetic fragments of HIV into an adenovirus 5 virus, was designed to boost the CTL response. The fragments of HIV were selected because of evidence suggesting that immune responses against these parts of HIV can help control or prevent HIV infection. The prime-boost combination was tested based on the rationale that the sequence of two different vaccines would lead to stronger and broader immune responses than multiple immunizations of the same vaccine.
Study question(s): The trial is designed to examine whether the vaccine strategy lowers viral load in individuals who get the vaccine and go on to become HIV-infected, and whether the strategy is safe in the proposed study population.
Participants: 1,350 HIV-negative, Ad5-seronegative, circumcised men who have sex with men
Country: US
Trial sponsors and collaborators: HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), US National Institutes of Health (NIH)
When can we expect results? 2012
To learn more visit:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00865566?term=HVTN+505&rank=2