IAVI Supports New EU-Funded AIDS Vaccine Research Consortium

NEW YORK – The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) will provide product development expertise and laboratory assessment support to a new research consortium announced today called the European AIDS Vaccine Initiative (EAVI2020).

Funded by a European Union grant under the Horizon 2020 health program, the consortium unites 22 public organizations and biotech companies across Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States to develop preventive and therapeutic HIV vaccines. The project aims to develop novel candidate vaccines that can be taken into human trials within five years.

“Creating an effective vaccine against HIV represents one of the greatest biological challenges of a generation,” said Robin Shattock, Professor in the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London and coordinator of EAVI2020. “This project creates a unique opportunity for us to build on the enormous scientific progress gleaned over the last few years, providing an unprecedented insight into the nature of protective antibodies and anti-viral cellular response that will be needed for an effective vaccine.”

IAVI will provide product development support to help the consortium’s vaccine candidates advance through clinical assessment. In addition, the IAVI Human Immunology Laboratory, a partnership with Imperial College London, will be one of the laboratories assessing immune responses induced in EAVI2020’s clinical trials.

“Building on IAVI’s longstanding relationship with Robin Shattock and Imperial College, we are happy to support this innovative research program to bring the world closer to an AIDS vaccine,” said Thomas Hassell, IAVI Vice President, Vaccine Development.

Click here to read the EAVI2020 official announcement.