Thailand Developing Two More HIV Vaccines

Thailand will develop two more HIV vaccines for human trial in the next two years; the news follows last month's announcement that Thailand would soon embark on the world's largest HIV vaccine trial. Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said the BCG-gag E and Vaccinia-gag E vaccines, aimed at combating HIV's E strain which is widespread in Thailand, have already shown impressive results in monkeys. The two vaccines proved effective at reactivating the monkeys' immune systems and reducing their HIV prevalence, the Nation newspaper quoted a Department of Medical Science report as saying. The Health Ministry is funding more than one-quarter of the $3.8 million price tag for the vaccines project, with the remainder coming from the private sector. More than 266,500 people in Thailand have contracted AIDS since 1984, of which 61,204 have died, according to Health Ministry figures.

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