J&J to discontinue HIV vaccine trial

New Jersey: Johnson & Johnson said on Wednesday that it was pulling the plug on a late-stage global trial of an HIV vaccine after the shot was found ineffective at preventing infections.

The trial’s failure marks yet another setback in the search for a vaccine against a virus known to mutate rapidly and find unique ways to evade the immune system, and comes more than a year after another of J&J’s HIV vaccine failed a study.

“It’s not the outcome we had hoped for, unfortunately,” said a spokesperson for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a J&J partner in the trial.

“The development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine has been a considerable scientific challenge, but we will learn from this study and continue forward.”

The trial involved administering two different types of a shot, which uses a cold-causing virus to deliver the genetic code of HIV, spread over four vaccination visits in a year. J&J used similar technology for its COVID-19 vaccine.

The study, which began in 2019, was conducted at over 50 sites and included about 3,900 gay men and transgender people – groups that are considered vulnerable to the infection.

Another J&J partner, the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), said the shot was being tested only on individuals who did not accept pre-exposure prophylaxis, a treatment to prevent infections.

In 2021, around 650,000 people died from HIV-related causes while 1.5 million people acquired the infection, according to the World Health Organization.

Various HIV vaccine candidates, including from Moderna Inc , HVTN and NIAID are currently under trial.

While no HIV vaccine has successfully cleared trials so far, some drugs are used in high-risk groups and patients.

Shares of J&J were down 1.3 per at $170.14 in morning trade.

  • Related Posts

    • Pharma
    • June 13, 2025
    • 58 views
    DCA raids medical shop in Hyderabad, illegal medicines worth Rs 25K seized

    Officials found New Al-Shifa Medical and General Stores located at Zamistanpur in Musheerabad was running without a proper drug licence. Hyderabad: A medical shop in Hyderabad was raided by officials…

    • Pharma
    • June 13, 2025
    • 71 views
    Pharma firm Captab Biotech banned in Punjab for 3 years following adverse drug reactions

    Chandigarh, The Punjab government has banned pharma company Captab Biotech for three years for manufacturing and supplying non-standard IV fluid or normal saline bottles to the Punjab Health System Corporation…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    DCA raids medical shop in Hyderabad, illegal medicines worth Rs 25K seized

    DCA raids medical shop in Hyderabad, illegal medicines worth Rs 25K seized

    Pharma firm Captab Biotech banned in Punjab for 3 years following adverse drug reactions

    Pharma firm Captab Biotech banned in Punjab for 3 years following adverse drug reactions

    FUJIFILM resolves to detect Breast Cancer early with Apollo Hospitals

    FUJIFILM resolves to detect Breast Cancer early with Apollo Hospitals

    Dabur reaches out to distributors as quick commerce disrupts general trade

    Dabur reaches out to distributors as quick commerce disrupts general trade