The tests on HIV vaccine 'modified vaccina ankara', being conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai, is showing favourable and positive response. The vaccine has shown around 60 per cent positive response.

ICMR director general Dr NK Ganguly said, that the modified vaccina ankara (MVA) vaccine, which has been tested at NIE, Chennai, has indicated potential promise. ICMR is gearing up to start a combined vaccine trials with two vaccines Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) and MVA and take it to phase I.

"The HIV vaccine if it works 30 per cent could be administered to 40 per cent of the population. It could bring down the infection by five million people. If we can get a 50 per cent effective vaccine and administer it to 50 per cent of the population, it will bring down the infection by about 17 million", stated Dr Ganguly who was in Bangalore.

According to the AAV, the total number of AIDS cases reported in the country is 1,11,608. Of this number, 32,567 are women, and 37 per cent are under the age of 30. There are a large number of AIDS cases that go unreported.

ICMR has eight large clinical trials on vaccines, all novel in composition, costing over $40,000 and funded by global sponsors. These include two vaccines for HIV, said Dr. Ganguly. The agreement with global companies is that vaccines should be available at affordable prices. We have not inked any data exclusivity and that is a problem which we have to address, stated the ICMR chief.

Although India has abundant skills in terms of expertise among its scientific personnel, lack of infrastructure and technology in the clinical research sector have actually hindered the targeted growth in clinical research. This has to be addressed by way of both the clinical research centres and the pharmaceutical companies in private-public partnership, Dr Ganguly said.

In order to further support the pharma-biotech research initiatives, the central government will shortly announce a bio-bank policy followed by a stem cell policy, he informed.