Failed AIDS vaccine may raise HIV risk for test volunteers

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An experimental AIDS vaccine that was withdrawn from trials in September may have increased HIV infection risk among test volunteers because it contained a cold germ that appears to weaken immunity, researchers said today at a conference in Seattle.

Among the 3,000 people who participated in the trials, a large subset who were vaccinated have developed HIV at at higher rate than those who received a placebo.

The vaccine, which was being developed by Merck, the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, couldn't infect patients by itself because it contained only a few fragment of HIV. It was discontinued after results showed it wasn't preventing infection or reducing HIV in those volunteers who did become infected.

Here are statements from Merck, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/11/failed-aids-vac.html