Simple, scalable and robust purification of two HIV-1 subtype C gp120 monomer subunit antigens for phase II clinical trial in Republic of South Africa

Background Development of an effective vaccine against HIV-1 is challenging due to various viral evolutionary mechanisms to evade human immune system. The partial efficacy of the recent RV144 vaccine efficacy trial in Thailand provides hope for improvements of vaccine regimens for higher efficacy. A Phase IIb proof-of-concept clinical trial in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is planned to confirm and extend the results of the RV144 trial with the vaccine strategy of poxvirus vector prime plus envelope protein boost.