bushmilhousegang testing new AIDs vaccine on foreigners

[donsu]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/21/AR2006052100960.html


AIDS Vaccine Testing Goes Overseas
U.S. Funds $120 Million Trial Despite Misgivings of Some Researchers


Inside a ramshackle Buddhist temple here on the country's southeastern coast, curious villagers gathered last fall as part of the United States' biggest gamble yet on stopping the AIDS pandemic.

The informational meeting was almost like a game show as attractive young hosts revved up the crowd, working up to the big question, boomed out over loudspeakers: Would the audience be willing to volunteer to test an experimental HIV vaccine?

-snip-

For the past three years, such gatherings have been held all over Thailand, exhorting young adults to take part in the largest, most expensive, most resource-intensive AIDS vaccine trial ever. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, it ultimately will involve 16,000 people and last 3 1/2 years.

But as the trial moves forward, at a cost of more than $120 million, some researchers are raising questions about its validity. They disparage its science, question its ethics and doubt its efficacy.

One of the chief dissenters is Robert C. Gallo, who helped discover the human immunodeficiency virus. He scoffs at the notion that the trial will be successful. "I thought we'd learn more if we had extract of maple leaf in the vaccine," he said derisively.

NIH scientists defend the study, arguing that even if the vaccine doesn't work, the trial may reveal new things about HIV. "With 5 million new infections each year, the luxury of time is absent," four researchers wrote in the journal Science.
-snip-
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the pharma barons don't want a vaccine against aids. they make more money treating the symptoms.

don't you just love how they use the poor of other countries.

whose pocket will the 120 mil find it's way to?

[Avalux]

1. Strictly from a scientific standpoint -

the study will be a waste of time. It's an NIH-funded study (our tax dollars) - there really isn't any money in vaccines for the big pharma cos. so they don't bother and the HIV vaccine trials that get started by some end up crashing.

The problems with a vaccine trial such as this are numerous. Innoculation with an experimental vaccine and then proving protection against a very unique virus that is spread via body fluids and is deadly will be extremely difficult - they can't 'give' these people HIV to see if the vaccine actually works, so they're using a high risk population who they assume will come in contact with HIV at some point. And, developing a vaccine that will work against all the different strains and mutations of HIV has proved thus far to be futile.

I worked on a blinded placebo-controlled vaccine trial years ago (GP160) - it was federally funded for millions for 5 years - after 2 1/2 years the results collected thus far were unblinded and it was discovered those who actually received active vaccine were worse off. I've always been a skeptic of a successful HIV vaccine and always will be.

[donsu]

3. agree - and most of that money will go into pockets

nt

[Avalux]

6. Not sure whose pockets -

it's our money and the trial will be run by our government; not so sure this is a money-making scheme as it is an act of futility. Keep in mind there is absolutely no way a trial designed like this could be conducted in the US - I think it's more about some HIV researchers who have been chomping at the bit for a chance to use a population such as Thailand's and now have it.

[xchrom]

2. indeed the pharma barons do not want a vaccine.

and imagine the west having africa in it's back pocket vis a vis meds.

[donsu]

4. are they already handing out ambien to Africans? calm them down

'thems' always need calming down

[xchrom]

7. lol -- calming down indeed.

[Faux pas]

5. Sounds like a sneaky way to commit some genocide. n/t

[xchrom]

8. the ''genocide'' will be commited whether there is a vaccine or no.

that's how rampant aids in africa is.

and it will free up lots of resources for ''others'' to take advantage of in numerous ways.

[donsu]

9. a truth telling

nt