Scientists with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Moderna have announced that human trials for the company’s experimental HIV vaccine have officially begun.
“We are tremendously excited to be advancing this new direction in HIV vaccine design with Moderna's mRNA platform,” said IAVI President and CEO Mark Feinberg in the announcement. “The search for an HIV vaccine has been long and challenging, and having new tools in terms of immunogens and platforms could be the key to making rapid progress toward an urgently needed, effective HIV vaccine.”
HIV causes AIDS and interferes with the body's ability to fight infections. The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen or vaginal fluids.