Expanded HIV vaccine funding for biotechnology research crucial, says TAI

Nov 26 2009

In honor of World AIDS Day, The AIDS Institute (TAI), one of the nation's leading advocacy organizations for support of people with HIV/AIDS and their providers, joined Nobel Laureate Dr. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, in calling for government leaders, patient advocates and the research community to expand therapeutic HIV vaccine research.

TAI believes with more research funding, biotechnology treatments such as therapeutic vaccines could lead to dramatic improvements in care for the estimated 33.4 million people living with HIV.

"This kind of research needs a lot of money," said Dr. Barre-Sinoussi. "For basic research, but also for the trial to see if it's working or not. We need to have more funding for new scientists, young scientists that would like to come to us with innovative, new, creative ideas. This is the future."

The therapeutic HIV vaccines under investigation are designed to supplement or possibly to provide an alternative to current antiretroviral "cocktail" treatments for HIV. Researchers hope that one day therapeutic vaccines can be given to already infected individuals to help fight the disease by adjusting their immune response.

TAI Executive Director Michael Ruppal said expanded HIV vaccine funding for biotechnology research is crucial for scientists so they can conduct more trials and determine whether certain therapeutics are working.

"People with HIV are only estimated to survive 24 years after diagnosis," he said. "The only way that number will significantly change is with more research funding, which will lead to new therapeutic trials. These trials will help us determine whether the vaccines are working, and in return, help achieve our goal of improved HIV care."

Leading AIDS treatment activist David Miller, a board member of TAI and member of the Cornell Adult AIDS Clinical Trial Group's Community Advisory Board, explained why the government and researchers need to invest more resources into HIV therapeutic vaccines.

"Advancing therapeutic vaccine research now will save lives. It's as simple as that," Miller said. "We know that data from therapeutic vaccine research clearly indicates significant survival benefits and a decrease in disease progression. For the growing number of patients facing drug resistance to HAART, therapeutic vaccines may be our best hope. We need to make this the highest priority of research at the NIH and at leading vaccine research institutions. A growing number of treatment activists who have seen compelling data believe these vaccines can change the current course of the AIDS crisis."

How to Advocate for Therapeutic Funding: You can help the cause by visiting www.theaidsinstitute.org to learn more, find local services, volunteer and contribute.

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