Cape town: The first participant in the BRILLIANT 011 first-in-human clinical trial for the HIV vaccine has been enrolled at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) site at the Groote Schuur Hospital. This trial is spearheaded by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in collaboration with the DTHF and the Wits Health Consortium.
According to South African Government News Agency, the trial is testing two innovative vaccine components, BG505 GT1.1 and 426c.Mod.Core-C4b, administered with the SMNP adjuvant. These immunogens are the result of a global scientific partnership involving the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, and Amsterdam University Medical Centers. The SAMRC highlighted that this trial marks a significant milestone in African-led HIV vaccine research, offering hope for a vaccine developed through African science for African populations.
SAMRC sponsor representative, Professor Glenda Gray, emphasized the importance of this research, stating, “Advances in HIV vaccine research and development place our team in a pivotal position to map immune responses to these novel vaccines to guide further development of this regimen.”
The BRILLIANT Consortium (BRinging Innovation to cLinical and Laboratory research to end HIV In Africa through New vaccine Technology), launched two years ago, is the umbrella under which this study is being conducted. This consortium brings together leading researchers from South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique, with a notable leadership presence of African women scientists, as SAMRC leads this first study.
Despite severe setbacks due to US funding cuts, which threatened to derail the program, the BRILLIANT Consortium demonstrated exceptional scientific resilience. Through swift leadership and the mobilization of new investments, the team maintained the integrity of the research, ensuring Africa’s first clinical trial under BRILLIANT could proceed.