BuaNews (Tshwane)
Gabi Khumalo
15 May 2008
Johannesburg — Health researchers and scientists have been challenged by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to ensure they have a full understanding of the biology of HIV and AIDS.
She said although some progress had been made in enhancing scientific knowledge, there were some outstanding issues in the current research on vaccines and microbicides.
Speaking at a colloquium on the Science of HIV and AIDS held at Boksburg on Thursday, Ms Tshabalala-Msimang said researchers and scientists had to ask themselves whether they had a full understanding of the biology of the HI-virus and humane immune system.
This was necessary to ensure effective prevention methods and best intervention approaches.
The colloquium was aimed at sharing experiences and informing future policy approaches with regard to HIV and AIDS-related clinical trials in South Africa.
It follows the decision to hold the discussion during the meeting between the department and principal investigators of microbicide clinical trials in February this year.
Discussions at the colloquium were focussed on the recent setbacks in HIV- related trials.
These included the Nonoxynol-9 or "N9" study which indicated increased risk of HIV transmission amongst those using the product, the Cellulose Sulphate gel trial where participants sero-converted; the HVTN 503 vaccine trial (Phambili) which was suspended following information suggesting that it did not show that the vaccination would meet efficacy endpoints as well as the Carraguard trial which indicated that the product was not effective in preventing male-to-female HIV transmission during vaginal intercourse.
The minister stressed the need to understand the functioning of our immune systems before establishing the means to regulate them in order to make appropriate interventions.
"We need to put more emphasis on the understanding of basic science and our medicine regulatory authority has to ensure that all clinical trials meet rigorous requirement for pre-clinical stage before they are approved."
She said government had a responsibility to ensure that all planned research was necessary, conducted in an ethical manner and meant to benefit the participants and their communities.
Professor Lynn Morris from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said there was a definite need to develop a new vaccine.
"No vaccine is 100 percent effective, most are between 70 and 95 percent," said Professor Morris.
She added that the reason it is difficult to make new vaccine is that nobody has recovered from HIV infection.
HIV is highly variably and constantly changing, it gets around the drugs, Professor Morris said.
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