I Am Biotech » IAS 2009

BioCrowd: A Social Network for Bioprofessionals

Emily — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:39:02 +0000

We’ve updated our Social Media section with information about BioCrowd! Check it out here: http://iambiotech.org/social-media/

TB Vaccine Clinical Trial in Worcester, South Africa

dave — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:58:15 +0000

We were able to video tape the third young patient to be put on a clinical trial for an investigatory TB vaccine that researchers hope will help eliminate the disease that affects so many lives around the world. The trial of over 2,700 patients is being conducted entirely at a special clinic in Worcester, South Africa.

The trial is placebo controlled and double blind, so that even the doctor does not know if the patient is getting the vaccine. All children in South Africa get the Bacille Calmett-Guerin (BCG) vaccine just hours after birth, but the BCG vaccine is known to not protect everyone. And it was developed 90 years ago. This vaccine is the first new candidate for infants.

Dr. Michele Tameris, clinical manager of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI) is interviewed and explains that the vaccine could not be developed without biotechnology.

UCT, the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, Oxford Univeristy, the Oxford-Emergent Tuberculosis Consortioum Ltd., and the WellcomeTrust are partners in the study, which is expected to be completed in 2012 when researchers hope to see additional immunity in the young patients receiving the vaccine. Worcester is the ideal location because it has a high TB rate and the geography and social conditions make it less likely that families will move far.

A Positive Life through rapid HIV testing worldwide

dave — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:11:28 +0000

In August 2004, the South African Foundation for Professional Development kicked-off the Positive Life Project to facilitate the accreditation, expansion and integration of facilities providing comprehensive antiretroviral treatment (ART) and HIV palliative care in the South African public sector. Interestingly, the Positive Life Project uses biotechnology – an antigen test – to provide rapid HIV testing through its targeted regions.

Funded by PEPFAR through USAID since its inception, the Positive Life Project operates in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. We caught up with Frieda, a registered nurse working with with Positive Life, last week at the 5th annual conference.

South Africa Tests AIDS Vaccine, Looks To Boost Biotech Research

dave — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:54:41 +0000

South Africa is launching clinical trials of the first AIDS vaccines created by a developing country, the AP reports (via BreitBart.com). Trials to test the vaccine’s safety on humans begin this month on 36 volunteers. The vaccine was developed at the University of Cape Town, with technical and manufacturing help from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

This landmark step is a model for continued biotechnology development in South Africa, with some 250 scientists and technicians working on the project, producing work for professional publications. Anthony Mbewu, president of South Africa’s government-supported Medical Research Council, spoke to this recent milestone and the future of biotech in South Africa:

We have the biggest problem [in the world.][...] Every emerging country is trying, wants to develop their own capacity to design and develop vaccines—Brazil, Korea.

When the next influenza pandemic hits the world, every country will be scrambling to develop a vaccine … so it is important that countries like South Africa have the technology and capacity to develop vaccines and the industry to manufacture them.

Jerry Sadoff of Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation discusses the announcement of breakthrough TB trials in South Africa as well as a new partnership. Sadoff notes the integral role of Biotech in TB vaccine research:

TB/HIV co-infection trials begin in South Africa

jrontal — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:38:21 +0000

The Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation announced today enrollment of the first infant last Wednesday into the first Phase IIb preliminary efficacy clinical trial of a new tuberculosis vaccine in 80 years. Additionally, Aeras announced a partnership with The Aurum Institute to conduct the first clinical trial in people living with HIV of TB vaccine candidate AERAS-402/Crucell Ad35. The trial will recruit at Aurum’s clinical trial site near Johannesburg.

73% of TB patients in South Africa are co-infected with HIV. And TB is the leading cause of death for people with HIV living in Africa.

Aeras President and CEO Jerald Sadoff shares the news and explains the role played by biotechnology in today’s news in the video below.

(video coming soon!)