Login

Lost your password?

Sign Up

Register

Login

Login

Lost your password?

Register

Thursday, July 7, 2022
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion

Africa's
Investment
Gateway

The Exchange
  • Login
  • Register
Subscribe
This Month's Edition
Previous Editions
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
LOGIN
alternatetext
The vaccine is being developed to act as an immune primer, to trigger the activation of naïve B cells via a process called germline-targeting, as the first stage in a multi-step vaccine regimen to elicit the production of many different types of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). (Photo/ European Pharmaceutical Review)

The vaccine is being developed to act as an immune primer, to trigger the activation of naïve B cells via a process called germline-targeting, as the first stage in a multi-step vaccine regimen to elicit the production of many different types of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). (Photo/ European Pharmaceutical Review)

Conducting HIV vaccine clinical trials in Africa matters

First in-Africa HIV vaccine clinical trials to be conducted in South Africa and Rwanda.

by Albert Nangara
May 23, 2022
in Investing
0
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

Covid-19 has shown us the weaknesses in the global health system and the risks associated with vaccine insecurity in Africa. It is no longer sufficient for African governments to rely on rich countries and western capital to shoulder the cost of vaccine development.

According to an article by the Aspen Institute published on June 28, 2021, Africa’s relative exclusion from global clinical vaccine trials is not new, but Covid-19 has brought it into sharp focus.

Urgent investments are needed in Africa’s capacity to design, manufacture and develop vaccines. A key piece of this capacity, which must be at the centre of these investments, is Africa’s ability to conduct vaccine clinical trials in the region.

In the quest to provide appropriate vaccines to its people, in July 2020, the African Union (AU) launched a new consortium to bring together global vaccine developers, funders, and African organizations that conduct clinical trials although it was for the Covid-19 vaccines.

Recently, Moderna and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) announced the first in-Africa clinical trial for an HIV vaccine candidate. IAVI, a nonprofit scientific research organization, and Moderna, a biotechnology company, are preparing to begin participant screenings for the mRNA HIV vaccine antigen, mRNA-1644 in Africa.

According to an article published by Contagion Live on May 18, 2022, the phase 1 vaccine trial will take place at the Center for Family Health Research (CFHR) in Kigali, Rwanda, and The Aurum Institute in Tembisa, South Africa.

Etienne Karita, MD, MSc, MSPH, the director of CFHR said it is the first time an mRNA-delivered HIV immunogen is evaluated in Africa with African scientists and researchers at the helm. She added that this will build their longstanding partnerships with USAID and IAVI.

Margaret McCluskey, RN, MPH, MPS, a senior technical adviser for HIV vaccine research at USAID said IAVI G003 is more than just a clinical trial.

“This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration to advance emerging science and a new generation of African scientists who are taking HIV vaccine development into the future,” she said.

mRNA-1644 utilizes Moderna’s messenger RNA (mRNA) technology to deliver a specific class of B cells needed to develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to fight HIV infection. Inducing bnAbs is considered the primary goal of an HIV vaccine, and this requires B-cell activation.

The primary trial endpoints are safety and immunogenicity. The IAVI-sponsored clinical trial, IAVI G003, will test the safety and efficacy of vaccination with the HIV immunogen eOD-GT8 60mer, delivered via Moderna’s mRNA platform. eOD-GT8 60mer was developed by IAVI and Scripps Research teams and was initially tested in phase 1 clinical trial IAVI G001.

According to Contagion Live, IAVI G003 is expected to enroll 18 healthy, HIV-negative adults. The participants will receive 2 doses of eOD-GT8 60mer mRNA, which contains a portion of the viral sequence but cannot cause HIV infection. They will be monitored for safety for 6 months after their second dose, and their immune responses will be examined in molecular detail to evaluate whether the target was achieved.

Meanwhile, recent findings from IAVI G001 showed that vaccination with eOD-GT8 60mer as a recombinant protein safely and effectively induced the desired immune responses in 97% of healthy US adult trial participants. IAVI G003 will test the hypothesis that vaccination with eOD-GT8 60mer can induce a similar immune response in African trial participants.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, 79.3 million [55.9–110 million] people have been infected with HIV and 36.3 million [27.2–47.8 million] people have died of HIV. Globally, 37.7 million [30.2–45.1 million] people were living with HIV at the end of 2020. An estimated 0.7% [0.6-0.9%] of adults aged 15–49 years worldwide are living with HIV, although the burden of the epidemic continues to vary considerably between countries and regions. The WHO African region remains most severely affected, with nearly 1 in every 25 adults (3.6%) living with HIV and accounting for more than two-thirds of the people living with HIV world. (Photo/ WHO)
According to an article by Statista dated September 30, 2021, countries in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest rates of HIV worldwide. The countries with the highest rates of HIV include Eswatini, Lesotho, and Botswana. In 2020, Eswatini had the highest prevalence of HIV with a rate of almost 27 per cent. Other countries, such as Zimbabwe, have significantly decreased their HIV prevalence.

In a related article by The Lancet published on September 4, 2020, African Academy of Sciences (AAS) senior advisor, Kevin Marsh told the Lancet Respiratory Medicine that Africa was a passive recipient of vaccines.

“Historically Africa has too often been a passive recipient of vaccines developed and tested elsewhere. African researchers and policymakers want to play a leading role in the international effort to develop vaccines, and it is essential that potential vaccines be trialled in the populations in which they are intended to be used,” he said.

alternatetext

Coordinator for Immunization and Vaccine Development at the WHO Africa Regional Office, Dr. Richard Mihigo, agreed that clinical trials in Africa would benefit the continent. “Testing vaccines on the continent ensures that sufficient data are generated on the safety and efficacy of the most promising vaccine candidates for the African population so they can be confidently rolled out in Africa once approved,” he said.

“The Ebola vaccine, which was also tested in Africa, has helped to end the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest Ebola outbreak,” he added.

According to The Lancet, there is a critical need for competency to conduct clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa because the biological, economic, and sociopolitical factors associated with the emergence of diseases, epidemics, and pandemics are over-represented in many countries of the region.

Read: Exploring Impact Investments on HIV care in Africa

Mihigo added that there is a possibility for some flaws in implementation. But, there is no reason to expect that trials taking place anywhere in Africa would be less ethical or less effective than in any other part of the world.

“There is no difference in the rigor accounting for ethical issues in vaccine trials in Africa compared with other continents,” he said.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a viral infection that is transmitted via exposure to infected semen, blood, vaginal and anal fluids, and breast milk. HIV destroys the human immune system, rendering the host unable to fight off secondary infections. Globally, the number of people living with HIV is increasing. However, the number of HIV-related deaths has decreased significantly in recent years.

However, despite being available worldwide, not all adults have access to antiretroviral drugs. As of 2018, Europe and North America had the highest rates of antiretroviral use among people living with HIV.

Read: Kenya and Uganda selected for HIV Vaccine trial

Tags: AfricaAfrica CDCclinical trialsCOVID-19MordenamRNARwandaSouth AfricaVaccineWHO

STATE OF ECONOMY - GET THE REPORT

ASSESSING EAST AFRICA

Loading...

Albert Nangara

Albert is a Chemical Technologist and Author. He is passionate about mining, stock market investing, Fintech and Edutech.

Related Posts

www.theexchange.africa
Business

Kenya: Economic activity contracts for third consecutive month on inflation

July 6, 2022
The Humanity Node Protocol: Register to earn, invest, redeem crypto for cash. www.theexchange.africa
Investing

The Humanity Node Protocol: Register to earn, invest, redeem crypto for cash

July 5, 2022
www.theexchange.africa
Business

Kenya: Food, oil prices force average inflation to rise to 6.3% in first half of 2022

July 5, 2022
Next Post
KARSTEN BUNDGAARD/ROYAL DANISH LIBRARY. The Royal Library in Copenhagen, Denmark built with black granite from Zimbabwe. (Photo/ Pindula)

Zimbabwe’s black granite value-addition, beneficiation record major milestone

Zimbabwe is cracking down on individuals it terms illegal forex traders. www.theexchange.africa

Policy inconsistency driving up inflation in Zimbabwe

Mozambique orders all food products to be labelled in Portuguese. www.theexchange.africa

Mozambique: Pros and cons of labelling all food products in Portuguese

Please login to join discussion




This months edition

Features

Countries

Era of the African Passport: A mixed bag of opportunities?

by june njoroge
July 4, 2022
0

The African passport is a common passport document that is set to replace the existing nationally issued AU member states’...

Read more
Sibongile Thobakgale. She is the area sales manager for South Africa at Aggreko Africa. www.theexchange.africa
Investing

Transforming manufacturing in Africa

by Opinion
July 4, 2022
0

From cement to food and beverages to metal production and processing, manufacturing organisations are looking for sustainable energy solutions to...

Read more
Wallace Manyara. He is the Business Development Manager, Region South & East Africa, Wärtsilä Energy. www.theexchange.africa
Investing

Renewables, gas cheapest ways to meet Mozambique’s electricity demand

by Opinion
July 1, 2022
0

To meet its growing energy needs and increase electricity access across the population, Mozambique must build 1.3GW of new power...

Read more
By 2030, tech financing in Africa will hit US$90 billion. African governments have a lot to do to reduce the risk of investing in tech startups. www.theexchange.africa
Tech & Business

Challenges and opportunities across Africa’s tech ecosystems

by Njenga Hakeenah
July 4, 2022
0

In addition, governments have to make things better for businesses. Currently, tech start-ups have to pay a lot to comply...

Read more
Foreign Currency Auction System Fails to Meet Soaring Demand
Industry and Trade

Foreign currency auction fails to meet soaring demand

by Laurence Sithole
July 4, 2022
0

Despite these fundamentals, the Zimbabwe dollar has continued to slide against the United States dollar prompting the government to take...

Read more

News

Banking
Industry & Trade
Investing
Money Deals
Regional Markets
Tech & Biz
Opinion

Countries

Kenya
Tanzania
Uganda
Burundi
Rwanda
Southern Africa
Ethiopia

More

My Account
Contact us
Advertise
About us
Help Center

Subscribers Center

E-paper
Premium Stories
Education Rates
Corporate Subscriptions
Weekely Newsletter

  • My account
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy – The Exchange
  • Sitemap

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2021 The Exchange - Powered by MediapixManaged by Supported by Digihandler,

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In