EHVA – European HIV Vaccine Alliance, an EU Platform for the Discovery and Evaluation of Novel Prophylactic and Therapeutic Vaccine Candidates

Why?

With 37 million people living with HIV worldwide, and over 2 million new infections diagnosed each year, an effective vaccine is regarded as the most potent public health strategy for addressing the pandemic. Despite the many advances in the understanding, treatment and prevention of HIV made over the past 30 years, the development of a broadly effective HIV vaccine has remained unachievable.

What?

The European HIV Alliance (EHVA) is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme designed to foster the development of an effective vaccine. The EHVA encompasses 41 partners, each with the expertise to promote a comprehensive approach to the development of an effective HIV vaccine. The international alliance, which includes academic and industrial research partners from all over Europe, as well as sub-Saharan Africa and North America, will work to discover and progress novel vaccine candidates through the clinic.

With whom?

Drawing from 39 partner organizations, EHVA encompasses expertise in the fields of molecular biology, structural biology, vectorology, adjuvants delivery, immunology, clinical science, biostatics and social science. The alliance is devised to approach the challenges that have hindered the development of a broadly effective vaccine, to date, from all possible angles. The 39 partnering organisations are located in 16 different countries (11 in Europe, 4 in Sub-Saharan Africa and the US) and the alliance includes academic centres of excellence, leading pharmaceutical companies, start-up companies, a non-profit product-development partnership (the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative), and EATG as community and non-governmental organisation.)

How?

EHVA is structured into 12 work packages:

1. Coordination and Management
2. Vaccine Discovery – Novel Envelope Proteins
3. Vaccine Discovery – Non-viral and viral-vectors
4. Non-Human Primate Studies
5. Vaccine Development
6. Immune Profiling
7. Virological Monitoring
8. Prophylactic Vaccine Trials
9. Therapeutic Vaccine Trials
10. Data Integration and Down Selection
11. Dissemination and Exploitation
12. Partnership Building with EDCTP

EATG is involved in providing community input in the therapeutic vaccine trials, in the scientific committee and the data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) as well as in dissemination and exploitation. EATG is also a community partner in ensuring community feedback to the scientific developments within the project.

For what outcome?

To develop a Multidisciplinary Vaccine Platform (MVP) in the fields of prophylactic and therapeutic HIV vaccines. The MVP includes four components: 1) Discovery, 2) Immune Profiling, 3) Data Management, Integration and Down-Selection, and 4) Clinical Trials.

EATG contact person(s):	Giorgio Barbareschi – giorgio.barbareschi@eatg.org
Duration of the project/initiative:	January 2016 – June 2023
Project/Initiative Leader:	Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM)
Project/initiative Main Partner(s):	Involves 39 institutions including Universities, Research Institutes, SMEs, and larger industries
Budget:	50.000 €
Main Funding Sources:	EC Horizon 2020
Links:	http://www.ehv-a.eu/
Communication Disclaimer:	This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 681032 Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.