Sunday, October 18, 2009

Take off to Paris with Patty Conrad for the 2009 AIDS Vaccine meeting of the IAS and Vaccine Enterprise. Extremely successful meeting in many ways. The RV144 (Thai trial) results were formerly presented coinciding with the online publication of the results in the NEJM. There was significant controversy surrounding the role-out of this vaccine a couple of weeks ago (see above). The complete data showed that the effect was modest, but real. Apart from a few remaining skeptics, the issue now is to learn from this by examining any correlates of immunity. I gave the closing talk on Oct. 22 together with Francois Barre-Sinoussi. My talk was extremely well-received as being visionary. I thoroughly enjoyed preparing and delivering the talk. I discuss the Thai trial, but also the need to pursue low-dose mucosal challenge models in the non-human primate (NHP). Also, I spoke about the importance of studying the early events in HIV infection for insight into the type of immune response that we need to elicit. Also, spoke of the differences in the transmitting versus the chronically replicating virus. Oct. 23 – 25, 2009 – Things really heating up with the press jumping all over the USG for “overpromising” the number of doses of vaccine that would be available. In fact, despite my warnings, BAARDA (Robin Robinson – nice guy, but naïve) believed the pharmaceutical companies that they would have 160 million doses by October 15. In fact they had 11 million and instead of ultimately getting 250 million, we are lucky if we get 140 million. Big gap between supply and demand with long lines for vaccine and widespread flu activity in 46 states. Perfect storm. I have been as much media as in the anthrax days. Just on October 23-25 I was on 11 major networks and cable trying to explain the vaccine supply problem – Today Show, NBC Nightly News, multiple MSNBCs, CNN Situation Room, CNN American Morning, Charlie Rose, NPR, WTOP, Good Morning America, Jim Lehr’s The NewsHour, BBC, etc.