HIV Prevention Vaccine
Research Study
Research Study
Join a University of Pennsylvania research program investigating a new vaccine to prevent HIV transmission
Philadelphia, PA
Compensation Provided
HIV-Negative
Men who have sex with Men OR transgender people
18 - 60 Years Old
Fast Facts
About this research study
The study's goal is to prevent transmission of HIV and we are partnering with cisgender men and transgender people to test the new vaccine regimen.
There are an estimated 38 million cases of HIV in the world today and the disease has claimed the lives of over 33 million people worldwide. Many populations around the globe are still at risk based on where they live and their ethnic group, gender, and age range. New HIV research is critical to the prevention of this disease. In our study, it's extremely important to our researchers to have representation from all racial and ethnic groups.
All study vaccines are safe and they do not cause health problems. This study is focused on testing how people's immune systems respond to a preventative vaccine for HIV. It's important to know the study vaccines are not made from HIV and cannot give you HIV.
All study vaccines are safe and they do not cause health problems. This study is focused on testing how people's immune systems respond to a preventative vaccine for HIV. It's important to know the study vaccines are not made from HIV and cannot give you HIV.
Additional Information
The study's mission is to find a safe and effective preventative HIV vaccine. Researchers are investigating how to help the immune system protect people from disease.
You may qualify for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Key Criteria:
Key Criteria:
- 18 - 60 years old
- BMI < 40
- 4 or less sex partners is last 6 months
- HIV- (negative)
- You will have physical exams that include blood tests. Blood samples will be used: to test for HIV infection; to check how your immune system responds to the study vaccines; and for limited genetic testing and other tests that will help researchers understand your health and immune system better.
- Over the course of the study, you will go to the clinic approximately 14 times over 3 years. At 4 of these visits you will get injections of the study vaccines or the placebo (sterile salt water). You will receive six total injections during the study.
- You will be asked to keep track of how you feel for the 7 days following each injection. After this time, you and the site staff will be in contact to see how you are feeling.
- The follow-up visits will include collecting blood samples so that we can measure how people's immune systems respond to the vaccine regimen, HIV counseling and testing, and answering questions from the clinic staff. These visits will be shorter than visits where you receive injections.
- The HIV counselors will advise you about the best ways to protect yourself from HIV infection during the study.
You will be compensated up to $850 for your time and travel to the site throughout your study involvement.
There is no cost for the study medicine or study tests.
Participants should not expect to be protected from HIV by these study vaccines. In fact, participants may not even get the study vaccines in this study, since some participants (approximately half) will get a placebo. A placebo is a product that contains no study vaccine, but sterile salt water.
This study is designed to find out if the study vaccines work to prevent or fight HIV. However, more studies may need to be done to learn if they do.
Because we don’t know if the study vaccines will prevent HIV/AIDS, participants in this study will be counseled on how to avoid behavior that will put them at risk of HIV infection.
This study is designed to find out if the study vaccines work to prevent or fight HIV. However, more studies may need to be done to learn if they do.
Because we don’t know if the study vaccines will prevent HIV/AIDS, participants in this study will be counseled on how to avoid behavior that will put them at risk of HIV infection.
Yes, the study vaccines are likely to cause you to test positive on some types of HIV tests.
If a participant gets an HIV study vaccine, their body may make antibodies to HIV. Antibodies help you fight infection.
Standard HIV tests search for HIV antibodies as a sign of infection. Because of this, a person could have a positive HIV test result even if they are not infected with HIV. This is called a vaccine-induced seropositive (VISP) test result. You may also see this called Vaccine-Induced Seroreactive. We do not know who will have VISP test results or how long these test results may last.
If a participant gets an HIV study vaccine, their body may make antibodies to HIV. Antibodies help you fight infection.
Standard HIV tests search for HIV antibodies as a sign of infection. Because of this, a person could have a positive HIV test result even if they are not infected with HIV. This is called a vaccine-induced seropositive (VISP) test result. You may also see this called Vaccine-Induced Seroreactive. We do not know who will have VISP test results or how long these test results may last.