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The enrollment of the first participant in the BRILLIANT 011 clinical trial has been announced. The study is the first of its kind to be conducted in humans for the development of a vaccine against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Enrollment took place at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation site at Groote Schuur Hospital in South Africa.
The trial is being conducted under the supervision of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in collaboration with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation and the Wits Health Consortium, in what has been described as a major scientific achievement in the trajectory of African-led HIV vaccine research.
The study aims to test two advanced vaccine components, BG505 GT1.1 and 426c.Mod.Core-C4b, administered with the SMNP adjuvant, to assess their safety and ability to elicit immune responses. These components were developed through international scientific collaboration involving leading research institutions, including the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, the Scripps Consortium for HIV Vaccine Development, and Amsterdam University Medical Centers.
In a statement, the South African Medical Research Council said the trial represents “a pivotal milestone in African-led HIV vaccine research,” adding that the BRILLIANT 011 project strengthens hopes for the development of an HIV vaccine rooted in African science and designed to serve African communities.
For her part, Professor Glenda Gray, SAMRC sponsor representative, said that advances achieved in vaccine research place the research team in a key position to better understand immune responses to these novel vaccines, helping to guide subsequent stages of development.
The study forms part of the BRILLIANT Consortium, an initiative launched approximately two years ago aimed at promoting innovation in clinical and laboratory research to end HIV in Africa through new vaccine technologies. The consortium brings together researchers from several African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique, and is notable for its strong African women-led leadership.
The statement noted that despite facing significant challenges following cuts to U.S. funding, the consortium was able to overcome these obstacles through swift leadership action and the mobilization of alternative investments, ensuring the continuation of the research and the launch of the first clinical trial under the BRILLIANT initiative on the African continent.
