ABSTRACT
It has been estimated that by 2010, there might be more people living with HIV in Asia than in Africa. There is an urgent need for a safe, effective, accessible and affordable AIDS vaccine suitable for use in Asia. Factors that may hinder the development of AIDS vaccines in Asia include: 1) difficulty in recruiting adequate number of trial participants due to the low incidence of HIV infection in the general population and in defined population groups at high risk for HIV; 2) circulation of multiple HIV genetic subtypes and recombinant forms, and 3) unique geographical diversity of populations, cultures, social and political backgrounds. A proposed strategy to accelerate the development of an effective AIDS vaccine for Asia could be the constitution of a collaborative regional network in support of AIDS vaccine research and development. Collaborations would include 1) promoting the conduct of additional epidemiological studies and establishment of regional vaccine trial cohorts to reach adequate sample size for efficacy trials, 2) developinga regional platform for the conduct of clinical trials at multiple sites and harmonization of legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks to facilitate the review and approval processes, 3) strengthening the regional clinical research capacities and human resources for efficient development and testing of various vaccine candidates; and 4) promoting the development of regional capacities and infrastructures for vaccine production for the conduct of all phases of clinical trials, licensing and future public health use. A collaborative regional network in support of AIDS vaccine research and development will also require strong political commitment and leadership by all regional and international partners playing a significant role in the region.