HIV vaccine proven effective in monkeys

Macaque monkeys in Japan
(Image credit: Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida announced Wednesday that a new drug is effective in protecting monkeys from an animal version of HIV. The findings could have greater implications as researchers work to create an HIV vaccine for humans.

Macaque monkeys that were treated with the prototype drug, eCD4-Ig, were able to fight off repeated doses of HIV, according to the study, published in the journal Nature. Michael Farzan, leader of the study, told AFP that the trial successfully found "a way to achieve long-lived, effective, vaccine-like protection from HIV 1" for the monkeys.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.