Mayte Coiras

Why it has been possible to develop so fast safe and efficient vaccines against COVID-19 just after one year of the pandemic initiation whereas the advance in HIV vaccines is so slow? This session answers to this question and try to define the next future in HIV vaccination.

Lynn Morris gave a comprehensive talk about the last advances in HIV vaccines, intertwined with the omnipresent COVID-19 pandemic. Highly efficient vaccines for COVID-19 have been developed in no time due to existing vaccine platforms that were rapidly repurposed. It is striking the wide contrast between COVID-19 and HIV in the number of undergoing efficacy testing and approved vaccines for use. After 20 years of vaccine research, HIV has no approved vaccines, only 7 efficacy trials started, and still represents a formidable challenge. HIV is a tougher target than COVID-19, which is an acute infection without the ability of HIV to integrate in the cell genome and with just one essential epitope target. Besides, bNAbs against HIV are quite exclusive of some individuals and they only develop after many years of infection, whereas most people develop neutralizing Abs after infection and vaccination against COVID-19. Comparative results between different HIV vaccines are shown, highlighting the impressive predicted prevention efficacy over 4-6 months after one single infusion of triple bNAbs combination (PGDM1400LS + PGT121LS + VRC07-523LS) against 47 clade C placebo viruses from the HVTN 703 AMP trial. Phase 1 trial will start in September 2021 so stay tuned!

As Tony Fauci highlights, spectacular advances with ART have been achieved as it may suppress viremia to undetectable levels, which permits living a normal life with a quite normal life span but also making transmissibility impossible. We have also PreP and long acting ART, but this only makes more urgent the necessity for a safe and efficient vaccine.