South Africa is hosting a clinical trial that plans to stop the spread of the disease on the continent.
BRILLIANT 011 may mark a milestone in the fight against HIV. This is the first human clinical trial of a vaccine against this virus carried out entirely on the African continent. The test, which applies one of the most sophisticated vaccine strategies, has been designed by African scientists using viral strains identified in local patients. Furthermore, the initiative is carried out by researchers from the continent, which represents a paradigm shift, since formulations designed outside of it have historically been tested.
The test, which is in its initial phase and involves the participation of nearly 20 South African volunteers who have already begun receiving their doses, aims to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the vaccine and explore new strategies that trigger antibody responses with a broad neutralization capacity. Dr Glenda Gray is leading the trial, carried out by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) at the Desmond Tutu Foundation facility at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. “Once we see that this vaccine works, we want both prevention, which is very important for us because we need to stop the contagion, and contribute to finding a cure,” he explained to Channel Africa.
Gray, one of Africa’s most renowned scientists, chairs the SAMRC and leads the BRILLIANT Consortium, an alliance of eight African countries – South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique – seeking to develop HIV vaccines designed for strains circulating in sub-Saharan Africa. The consortium is led mainly by scientists from the continent.
Despite the advances that have been made through the use of antiretrovirals and prevention strategies, which have led to a 54% reduction in mortality and a 40% decrease in new infections globally since 2010, only an effective vaccine will eradicate the pandemic, the continued need for medication and stigma.
BRILLIANT 011 is being developed in a region with one of the highest HIV rates in the world. South Africa is the country with the highest number of people with HIV – about eight million, about 18% of adults between 15 and 49 years old, according to UNAIDS. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 67% of people with HIV, with the highest incidence among women and girls. With this research, knowledge is being generated in the same social and epidemiological context in which it is intended to be applied. Although there are years left to obtain an effective and long-lasting vaccine, those responsible for the trial consider that the path is hopeful.
The massive cut in funds to foreign aid by the Trump Administration in 2025 threatened BRILLIANT’s activities, but those responsible demonstrated sufficient resilience by finding alternative financing, especially African, which has allowed the project to be maintained and reduce external dependence.
