VaxGen officials say early AIDSVAX statistical data promising

Officials at VaxGen, the developer of the experimental HIV vaccine AIDSVAX, announced Wednesday that early statistical data from one of two recently completed Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine are promising, showing higher-than-expected trial volunteer retention rates and lower-than-expected HIV incidence rates, Dow Jones News reports. Of 5,400 people in the trial, 95% participated in the entire multiyear study, a level about 10% higher than VaxGen officials had expected. Final trial results are expected to be released by March, at which time the company will likely file for FDA approval of AIDSVAX. Preliminary results from the second clinical trial, conducted among injection-drug users in Thailand, are expected to be released later this year.