Vaccines

What are Vaccines for HIV Prevention and Therapy?  

Today there are no HIV vaccines which can prevent HIV infection. All of the candidates being studied are in the experimental stage. Preventive vaccine candidates are being tested in HIV-negative people. Some of these candidates are being tested to see if they can prevent infection. Other candidates are being tested to see if they lower viral load in people who receive the vaccine before becoming HIV infected but can learn to partially fight the resulting infection.

Preventive Vaccine Investment  

In 2010, total global investment in HIV vaccine R&D was US$859 million, a US$9 million decrease as compared to 2009. Public-sector funders provided 85% (US$726 million) of those investments, the philanthropic sector 12% (US$103 million) and the commercial sector 3% (US$30 million). Public agencies and institutions dominate R&D funding for HIV vaccines. In 2010, public agencies in the United States accounted for 74% of HIV vaccine R&D funding. Public agencies in 13 other countries invested more than US$1million each. The European Commission and China were the second- and third-largest contributors investing US$18.5 million and US$18.3 million, respectively.1 Although the US had the largest decline in funding from 2009 to 2010 in dollar terms (US$17 million), the percentage of decline was actually small (3%).The philanthropic sector accounted for US$103 million , an increase of US$11 million in the total funds disbursed as compared to 2009. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation accounted for 79% of all philanthropic investments. Commercial sector investments (pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies) remained level in 2010 at US$30 million.

Preventive Vaccine Expenditures

For 2010, spending by the public and philanthropic sectors on preventive HIV vaccine R&D was allocated to five categories. Spending by the public and philanthropic sectors in 2010 on preventive HIV vaccine R&D was allocated to five categories: basic research (27%), preclinical research (41%), clinical trials (25%), cohort and site development (6%), and advocacy and policy development (<1%).

Therapeutic Vaccine Investment  

A therapeutic HIV vaccine would be a vaccine used to treat HIV infection in HIV-positive individuals. Therapeutic HIV vaccines are designed to enhance immune response to HIV to better control the infection. Therapeutic HIV vaccine research started in the early 1990s, with several trials in the US and Europe. Currently, there are no approved therapeutic HIV vaccines. However, vaccines are being tested in clinical trials with HIV-positive individuals. 

Investment also went into research into therapeutic HIV vaccines for HIV-positive individuals. Therapeutic vaccines are designed to enhance immune responses to HIV to better control the infection. There are three HIV therapeutic vaccines now in clinical trials. In 2010, therapeutic HIV vaccine R&D received an estimated US$9.8 million, with the US and Europe each contributing 50% of this total.