South African AIDS drug trials put on hold

Trials of drugs designed to prevent HIV/AIDS have been put on hold by the South African government, following the outcome of recent trials both there and in the US.

The decision comes after the suspension of the STEP vaccine tests in both countries, following claims that the vaccine actually increased the risk of HIV infection.

And as a result the South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang called in leading scientists to ask for more details of the trial's suspension and ordered any future trials in the country to be put on hold.

"I am really concerned about the number of clinical trials that are started and then stopped for safety reasons. It is a particular concern as this has happened more than once," Ms Tshbalala-Msimang said.

Trials of the STEP vaccine were halted in September 2007, a year before the study was due to conclude, following the revelation that it did not work.

However, researchers in the US are now examining whether the vaccine actually increased the likelihood of HIV negative volunteers taking part in the trial becoming infected by the virus.

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