Long delay seen for Merck's AIDS vaccine

The fallout over Merck's disastrous AIDS vaccine trial [1] continues. There are new reports out that other developers have put their trials on hold while researchers and the FDA ponder the safety issues posed by Merck's program, which may have exposed trial participants to a heightened risk of contracting the virus. Merck is now going back to the trial participants to let them know about the extra danger they face.

"The recent Merck trial results were a big blow to the field," Dr. Gary Nabel, director of the National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center in Bethesda, told the Baltimore Sun. Some now estimate that any new vaccine to protect people from AIDS is at least a decade away. But work in the field is continuing.

- see this report [2] from The Baltimore Sun
- read the report [3] on the trial participants

Relate Articles:
Merck's HIV vaccine linked to higher infections rate. Report [1]
Merck halts study of "ineffective" HIV vaccine. Report [4]
New advances made in gene therapy for HIV. Report [5]
AIDS scientist backed on new vaccine approach. Report [6]