The Nation - News from May 9, 1989

The first human tests of a new AIDS vaccine developed by American researchers have begun in Britain because U.S. officials are taking too long to approve such studies, drug company officials said. Viral Technologies Inc. of Washington, a joint venture between CEL-SCI Corp. and Alpha 1 Biomedicals Inc., announced that tests of the drug HGP-30 have begun at St. Stephen’s Hospital in London. In the first part of the study, 24 volunteers not infected with the AIDS virus will be given the vaccine to evaluate it for safety, the company said.