Phase I/II Study of a Candidate Vaccine Designed Against the B and E Subtypes of HIV-1

A phase I/II trial of a candidate vaccine to prevent HIV infection was carried out in Bangkok, Thailand, testing AIDSVAX B/E (VaxGen, Inc., Brisbane, CA), a bivalent subunit vaccine prepared by combining recombinant gp120 from a subtype B virus (HIV-1MN) with gp120 from a subtype E virus (HIV-1A244) in alum adjuvant. The studies provide human data on the immunogenicity of various dose combination of non-subtype B vaccine antigens. The results suggest that AIDSVAX B/E is safe and immunogenic in humans. The optimal dose for humans in developing countries was 300 microg of each antigen (B and E). Clade E responses were measurably increased by immunizing with gp120 B/E over B alone. Using the B/E combination did not interfere with the response to either clade. Antibodies to AIDSVAX B/E were able to bind to oligomeric gp120 on the surface of cells infected with primary isolates of HIV-1.