Scientists aim to speed up HIV vaccine research with new trial methodology

As opposed to conducting numerous studies based on the findings of an original experiment, scientists are now debating whether it would be advantageous to conduct fewer ongoing trials that build off of compiled evidence, according to a paper recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Researchers suggested that adaptive trial designs should be used in the case of HIV vaccine assessments. This way, scientists may have the ability to modify the specifics of the investigative process in the case that they discover that certain drugs are ineffective, particularly if they want to continue using other collected data without the hassle of developing a new study setup.

The paper's authors explained that accelerating the process of HIV vaccine development is important because a growing number of people suffer from the disease, but scientists have yet to discover how to elicit an immune system response that protects individuals against the virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.1 million Americans suffer from HIV. About 16,000 people die from AIDS, the most advanced stage of the disease, annually.