The NIAID-Funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Responds To
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VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1: JUNE 2020 INSIDE THIS ISSUE The NIAID-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Responds to COVID-19 1 HIV VACCINE TRIALS NETWORK | COMMUNITY COMPASS | VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1: JUNE 2020 LETTERcities have some sort of “Stay at Please help us ensure that this Home” order* in place. On social publication is representative of our media, I see posts daily from people entire global HVTN community! who express concerns about (or HVTN members (who have access barriers to) getting tested; concerns to the HVTN member’s website) about themselves, friends, or family can use our submission page members who have possible or that offers the ability to submit actual symptoms of the virus; and content and articles for inclusion have seen just as many posts about in future issues. More information people who have died as a result of about this follows on the “Meet the complications of COVID-19. As I Community Compass Team” page. have sat and pondered about what to pen for this letter, I have thought Thank you for your continued Stephaun E. Wallace, Editor-in-Chief many times about the relationship support of the HVTN wherever you [email protected] between this disease and others, are in the world, for the work that Welcome to the latest edition of the including HIV, specifically for you do in whatever role you have HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) people and communities who are in the HVTN community, and for Community Compass. more vulnerable to negative health the impact we have been able to outcomes due to oppressive systems make in our collective history and In this issue, we highlight some and structures. Similar to HIV and communities, together. Though we of the recent World AIDS Day many other diseases, COVID-19 have come very far in response to activities, updates from some of our illustrates the very real impacts the HIV epidemic, we have so much sites and about some of our studies, of bias in healthcare/medical further to go to achieve an effective dive deeper into upcoming phase systems, poverty, historical trauma, global HIV vaccine. The HVTN 1 broadly neutralizing studies, as and other conditions impacting Community Compass team wants well as a very personal interview many communities, including to be everywhere you are, so please with our very own Dr. Larry Corey. communities of color. share with us what’s happening at The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 your research sites, institutions, and which can result in COVID-19 I believe we will see this pandemic in your communities, so that we can disease has also cut short the life end, but we cannot achieve this end share it with the world. of one of our beloved colleagues, ethically by leaving anyone behind, Professor Gita Ramjee, who, in or without ensuring that appropriate Be well, addition to having been a renowned efforts are focused on those who are Stephaun E. Wallace scientist and role model to many, most vulnerable. There are many Stephaun E. Wallace, Ph.D. also served as Chief Specialist stakeholder mobilization efforts Editor-in-Chief, HVTN Community Compass Scientist and Director of the HIV happening in local and national Prevention Research Unit of the settings around the world with goals South African Medical Research of raising awareness about these Note: This was true at the time Council in Durban, South Africa. issues, and ensuring resources and of writing in April 2020. Please solutions are inclusive of those follow your institutional guidance The COVID-19 pandemic has taken most impacted and vulnerable. regarding any updates on center stage, becoming the topic We are a global community; let COVID-19 in your location. of conversation in nearly every us work together in response virtual space that I access. Many to this pandemic. HIV VACCINE TRIALS NETWORK | COMMUNITY COMPASS | VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1: JUNE 2020 2 CONTENTS Meet The Community Compass Team 4 Hope and a “Queen” 5 In Harmony - Transgender People and Early Phase HIV Vaccine Trials 8 Upcoming Events/Conferences/Meetings 10 Responding to a Four-Decade Old Epidemic While Thwarting the “New Kid on the Block” 11 Facing Down Pandemics: Dr. Larry Corey on HIV and COVID-19 15 The HVTN and HPTN Remember Gita Ramjee 17 Phase 1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Efforts 18 New SBS-CEU Staff at HVTN Core 22 Getting the Right Test for HIV 23 World AIDS Day Commemoration Event Report December 2019 Hosted By Synexus 25 Setshaba Research Centre World AIDS Day Commemoration 2019 28 Updates at Vanderbilt CRS 30 Mosaico: A Fleeting 72 Hours Inscribed to Memory 31 Public statement by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) on COVID-19 35 3 HIV VACCINE TRIALS NETWORK | COMMUNITY COMPASS | VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1: JUNE 2020 Our vision is an informed HVTN community that is aware of current events and activities relating to the HVTN network and its sites, advances in the field of HIV prevention and vaccination, as well as community priorities. We work to accomplish this by providing relevant information and updates to promote awareness, understanding, and support for HIV prevention and HIV vaccines, reaching global communities invested in the response to the HIV epidemic. We welcome submissions of articles on any topic for publication that is relevant to the HVTN community. Submissions must be exclusive to us, and not appear in any other publication. Submissions must be 500 words or less to comply with our layout and design requirements.Due to space limitations, we may need to hold publishing your article for a future issue. To submit articles for Community Compass, please go to the HVTN Members Site homepage, click on “About”, then click “Community Compass”, then click on “Submit to Community Compass”. Stephaun E. Wallace, Ph.D. Cody Shipman, Nina Feldman, Editor-in-Chief Layout & Design Production & Distribution Aziel Gangerdine, Gail Broder, MHS Contributor Contributing Editor HIV VACCINE TRIALS NETWORK | COMMUNITY COMPASS | VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1: JUNE 2020 4 Featured Article Hope and a “Queen” By: Aziel Gangerdine, HVTN Core, Seattle, WA, USA Communities, scientists, The Story of Science prevention, and HIV counseling investigators in the field of HIV and testing is mired with prevention, and other stakeholders A preventive vaccine that is safe challenges. Among others, HIV is are likely anticipating the and globally effective against HIV is a retrovirus with a high mutation announcement of the preliminary to HIV prevention research what a rate, and it targets the same T-cells results of two large-scale HIV queen represents on a chessboard. the immune system needs to prevention studies later this year. On the chessboard the queen is activate the immune system to Notably branded as AMP, antibody a game changer as it moves any fight infection. Additionally, a safe mediated prevention, both studies number of squares vertically, and effective HIV vaccine must are designed to determine whether horizontally and diagonally. prevent the transmission of the a broadly neutralizing antibody Similarly, a vaccine against HIV varying subtypes of HIV that are called VRC01 can prevent the will change the game by offering a found throughout the world. transmission of HIV in people. new long-lasting HIV prevention option, which may mitigate the The proof-of-concept AMP studies Fittingly, the NIAID-funded HIV need for daily medication like are not HIV vaccine studies. In HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), PrEP or post-exposure prophylaxis vaccine trials, study participants together with its our partners at (PEP) for some people; could get an HIV vaccine regimen and the HIV Prevention Trials Network offer herd immunity that protects researchers evaluate if vaccine- (HPTN) and the study funder and individual who get vaccinated induced antibodies and cellular sponsor the National Institute of and their communities; and immune responses are elicited Allergy and Infectious Diseases could potentially prevent the that may prevent HIV infection. (NIAID) of the National Institutes of asymptomatic transmission of The AMP studies skip that step Health (NIH), will lead discussions HIV from an infected person who by administering an antibody when the preliminary results of is not aware that they are infected through IV infusion directly the Antibody Mediated Prevention to others. In developing countries into the bloodstream of study (AMP) studies are shared. an HIV vaccine has the potential participants, looking to see if to alleviate pressure on poor having the antibodies will be Two interdependent stories will be social and health infrastructure protective. If efficacy is found, at the heart of the announcement: that is already under tremendous they will also help to establish the the stories of science and the will pressure from other diseases such amount of antibodies one needs and hope of communities. These as Tuberculosis (TB), diabetes in order to achieve protection. stories will be told through the and cancer. The socioeconomic By determining the amount of voices of the 4,625 AMP study benefits to any one society will antibodies needed to prevent HIV, participants, consisting of women be tremendous if an HIV vaccine this will help vaccine researchers in sub-Saharan Africa between is introduced to scale and made set a target for the amount of the ages of 18 – 40 years, and men accessible to communities. History antibodies that a future HIV and transgender people between reminds us that smallpox was vaccine may need to elicit. Having the ages of 18 – 50 years in the eradicated by a vaccine. In the this kind of target could help make Americas and Switzerland who United States, a long list of diseases future development of a vaccine have sex with men. These stories such as diphtheria, measles, more efficient and cost effective. will color a canvas set against mumps, rubella, and tetanus near a backdrop of the world’s HIV eradication as a result of vaccines.