Canada launches new HIV vaccine development program

The Canadian government, with additional funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is establishing a research institute dedicated to the development of an effective AIDS vaccine. In February Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his government's pledge of just over US$95 million to fund the new program, which is called the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, and the Gates Foundation also announced it is committing up to $24 million to the project. The Foundation's contribution is another component of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, which was established in 2003 as a way to further accelerate AIDS vaccine research and development.

The primary goals of the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative are to support Canadian scientists who are working on the scientific challenges to developing promising AIDS vaccine candidates, construct a new facility capable of manufacturing vaccine candidates for testing in clinical trials, and foster collaboration between researchers, both in Canada and internationally. Canada was one of the first countries to create a national AIDS vaccine plan and the government recently awarded IAVI CAD$20 million to continue its work on the development of a safe and effective AIDS vaccine.

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All articles written by Kristen Jill Kresge