The African AIDS Vaccine Parntership (AAVP) held a satellite session at AIDS Vaccine 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand to review its new strategic direction and seek input on strategies to enhance AAVP’s relevance in Africa.  The full meeting report is below.

The Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) announced that the International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID) will house the new Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) Research and Development Alliance Coordinating Office (ACO). The ACO will provide support, establish networks, offer leadership in innovation to accelerate efforts to develop a vaccine.  The full announcement is located here (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2011/2011_161-eng.php).

The Lancet published a piece on correlates of protection and HIV vaccine development in its November issue.  Click below to read the article.

In the midst of the most promising era in HIV prevention research since the AIDS epidemic began, scientists from around the world will present more than 400 new studies outlining advances in the search for a safe and effective HIV vaccine at AIDS Vaccine 2011.  This global conference, the world’s only scientific meeting dedicated exclusively to HIV vaccine research, runs Monday, 12 September through Thursday, 15 September in Bangkok.  This is the first time that the annual AIDS Vaccine conference has been held in Asia.

IAVI, The Scripps Research Institute, Theraclone Sciences and Monogram Biosciences (a LabCorp company), published in the journal, Nature, today the discovery of 17 new broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. Together these discoveries with other recent discoveries in the neutralizing antibody arena represent tremendous progress in this area of AIDS vaccine research.  The IAVI announcement is available below.

The HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group released its seventh report on HIV prevention research funding, which states that new investment is critical to capitalizing on HIV prevention breakthroughs. The full report is available here: http://www.hivresourcetracking.org/sites/default/files/RTWG-Capitalizing%20on%20Scientific%20Progress.pdf. 

AVAC says results of new PrEP trials provide clear evidence that antiretroviral  drugs for prevention can help end the AIDS epidemic; calls for quick action  to move landmark HIV prevention results toward lifesaving programs.  Read the full statement below. 

IAVI today announced the appointment of Margaret (Margie) McGlynn as President and Chief Executive Officer. McGlynn, replaces Seth Berkley, IAVI’s Founding President and CEO.  The full announcement is below.

New Enterprise-OCTAVE Workshop for Young and Early Career Investigators

Statistical Methods in HIV Vaccine Trial Design and Evaluation

11-12 September 2011 Bangkok, Thailand (prior to AIDS Vaccine 2011)

The Board of Directors of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise today announced that Alan Bernstein, Ph.D. will step down after three and a half years as the inaugural executive director of the Enterprise Secretariat at the end of June 2011.   The full announcement is below.