An African-led study will evaluate whether the vaccine is safe and prompts an immune response in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative adults.
Mutala Trust’s Infectious disease research laboratory is now the launch pad for Africa’s first-ever HIV vaccine trial.
The development opens a new chapter in the country’s battle against HIV, driven by African scientists for our communities.
“We are working with a group of collaborators globally, as well as centred in Africa, to develop and test a novel HIV vaccine. What is interesting about this vaccine is that it is focused on the parts of the virus that are constrained, either by structure or function, and they have less room to mutate. Part of the problem with HIV has been the amount of mutation that occurs in the virus, making it difficult to make an HIV vaccine. So the idea behind this one is targeting key regions in the virus,” Mutala Trust’s Executive Director, Professor Tariro Makadzange noted.
“For many decades, as scientists and clinicians, we have been working on a vaccine, so our primary goal is to develop a vaccine that can prevent HIV. We also want to develop a vaccine that induces immune responses in people living with HIV so that we can redirect their immune response and better control HIV infection.”
Mutala Trust Medical Officer, Dr Constantine Mutata, reports that eight participants have already been enrolled across the African sites.
“For this HIV vaccine trial, the target is to enrol 120 participants. That is for all three sites, which is the Mutala site and the two sites in South Africa. So far, we have enrolled eight participants, and the age groups are from 18 to 50. We are enrolling both people who are living with HIV and those living without HIV. We are going to be following these participants up for about 19 months, and results will take longer because there will be time for analysis. We do have the capacity, and people who are experienced enough to do the research and laboratory testing.”
With this being the first time Africans are participating in a Phase 1 vaccine trial, the question on everyone’s mind is, are we being used as guinea pigs?
“It is tragic that people say that because in reality, only 2% of clinical trials happen in Africa, so it is the total opposite. As Africans, we are excluded from research. We are about 20% of the world’s population, and only 2% of trials happen in Africa, and that is the narrative we need to change. If we, as Africans, are not driving the science, then we are waiting for Americans and Europeans to develop vaccines and therapies for us. So it is absolutely essential for us as Africans to be part of the science and part of the development,” Professor Makadzange said.
“The nice thing about this vaccine is we, as Zimbabwean scientists, are the clinical leads. We have designed and developed the way the study is being done. This is a nice example of science for Africans by Africans. The reality is that we are not the guinea pigs, we are waiting for people elsewhere to volunteer and for the drugs to be developed. This time, we want to be the ones who are developing the science, developing the innovation.”
The HIV vaccine trial is more than a scientific milestone, it is a symbol of Zimbabwe’s leadership, resilience and innovation in the fight against HIV
