How the Enterprise Works

The purpose of the Enterprise is to accelerate the development of an HIV vaccine by building consensus in the HIV vaccine field on scientific priorities, mobilizing new resources to implement these priorities, and facilitating the rapid sharing of information that can advance the field as a whole. The Enterprise itself does not conduct researchthis function remains with the Enterprise partners.

Setting Scientific Priorities

Expert working groups involving 140 scientists from 15 countries conducted a comprehensive review of the state of HIV vaccine. The working groups conducted a comprehensive review of the state of HIV vaccine research, and published a scientific strategic plan for the HIV vaccine field in early 2005. The plan identifies the major roadblocks in vaccine research and the most promising avenues for addressing them.

Expert working groups are constituted as needed to continually monitor progress in the field against the scientific plan, update the plan when needed, and disseminate that information to the scientific community.

Mobilizing Resources

The Enterprise engages donor governments, private philanthropies, and other potential funders to support the priorities identified in the scientific strategic plan. An annual Funders' Forum brings together independent funding organizations that support or plan to support and fund HIV vaccine research and development to ensure that the necessary activities are undertaken in a collaborative, high quality, and timely manner for the purpose of accelerating HIV vaccine development. Early financial commitments in support of the scientific plan include:

• The U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: More than U.S. $300 million over seven years to establish the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), a large research consortium dedicated to studying immune responses at the earliest stages of infection; learning how macaque monkeys and some humans are able to control infection; and designing and testing new vaccines.

• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: In July 2006 awarded US $287 million dollars over five years to support the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD) —16 HIV vaccine research centers or consortia working to design new vaccines that stimulate either neutralizing antibodies or cellular immunity, and to improve and standardize the tests that assess the immune responses triggered by vaccines.

• European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP): In December 2006, the EDCTP and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched a 20 M Euro call for proposals to develop HIV vaccine trial capacity in Africa, closely following the recommendations made in the Enterprise scientific plan.

• Canadian Government: In February 2007, Canada's Government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed up to $139 million to the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative to support Canadian researchers and institutions to work with collaborators around the world, including in developing countries, on a range of HIV vaccine research activities in support of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise.

Improving Collaboration

To improve scientific collaboration and reduce duplication of efforts, the Enterprise expert working groups provide specialized forums for discussion and collaboration among leading scientists in each area. In addition, through its recommendations regarding intellectual property, the Enterprise seeks to overcome roadblocks that hinder the sharing of essential information and materials.

Because the successful development of an HIV vaccine will depend on many outside the scientific community, the Enterprise also convenes meetings of political leaders, funders, community organizations, and other stakeholders to educate them about the scientific plan and encourage new resources and efforts devoted to achieving the scientific plan priorities.