You are invited to attend the launch of the ISS T-003 HIV vaccine clinical trial launch on 19 April 2011 at the University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus north of Pretoria.
Senior officials from the Department of Health, the Italian Ambassador to South Africa, senior officials from the Medical Research Council (MRC), the University of Limpopo’s Medunsa and the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) officials, community workers in the vaccine community preparedness groups and district officials of the Department of Health from three provinces where the trial is being conducted, namely, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.
ISS T-003 is the acronym for a phase II clinical trial to test a therapeutic vaccine based on the HIV-1 tat protein developed at the National Institute of Health of Italy (Istituto Superiore di Sanita’/ISS). The aim of this trial is to test the immunogenicity (whether it causes an immune response) and safety of the vaccine in HIV infected persons already on ARV treatment.
The ISS T-003 clinical trial preparation and conduct is part of a wider cooperation between the governments of Italy and South Africa, namely ‘Program to support the Ministry of Health of South Africa in the implementation of a national program of global response to HIV and AIDS’.
The program is funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General of Development Cooperation (MAE-DGCS) and is implemented by the ISS in cooperation with the South African National Department of Health (NDOH) supported by the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) of the South African Medical Research Council (MRC). The ISS is the Sponsor for this clinical trial.
In South Africa, the trial will be conducted at the Medunsa Clinical Research Unit (MeCRU), based at the University of Limpopo – Medunsa Campus in Ga-Rankuwa, Gauteng province. The HIV Vaccine Research Unit (HVRU) of the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in the Eastern Cape is also envisaged as an additional site once development of this site is completed. The NDOH has indicated the MRC-SAAVI as the local program partner to support ISS in the implementation of the ISS T-003 activities.
Date: 19 April 2011
Time: 09:30 – 13:00 (lunch will be served)
Venue: Sports complex, MEDUNSA campus at the University of Limpopo, Ga-rankuwa, Pretoria
For more information contact:
Julian Jacobs
Cell: 082 454 4902
Daphney Kgwebane
Cell: 082 908 4862
