The OCTAVE Project (Online Collaborative Training for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation) and the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, in collaboration with AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention and UNAIDS, conducted a one-day blended learning workshop in Vienna, Austria, prior to the 2010 International AIDS Society Conference.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is launching a Request for Proposals (RFP) to address four topic areas in order to diversify the pipeline of product concepts for an HIV vaccine within the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD) initiative.

Speaking at a media briefing in Cape Town, Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of the International Partnership for Microbicides, described results of the CAPRISA microbicide trial as a “huge achievement,” but emphasized that the candidate gel needs to be tested again to confirm initial findings.

Alan Bernstein and Peter Piot
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Tuesday, August 10 2010

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/hiv-is-a-20th-century-disease-that-needs-21st-century-research/article1667175/

We need smarter approaches to clinical trials that test more concepts in less time, for less money, while preserving safety, community engagement and ethical guidelines.

The New York Times reported on the CAPRISA 004 results in an article today, “Advance on AIDS Raises Questions as Well as Joy.” The story notes that “after more than a dozen microbicide failures, [the results were] a huge relief, and led to cheering and standing ovations for the researchers.” The story can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/health/27aids.html.

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) issued a statement on advances on HIV prevention tools at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna.  The full statement is below.

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced the renewed Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI), which features the creation of the CHVI Research and Development Alliance.  The full announcement is available here: http://www.chvi-icvv.gc.ca/index-eng.html.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health congratulate the Centre for the AIDS Program

WHO and UNAIDS congratulate CAPRISA, a designated UNAIDS Collaborating Centre for HIV Prevention Research, on the successful completion of the study.  The full statement is available here: http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/PressCentre/PressReleases/2010/20100719_PS.asp.

The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) issued a statement on the CAPRISA 004 microbicide trial.  The full statement is below.