LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- At least $12 billion is needed over the next decade to maintain momentum in developing an AIDS vaccine, scientists at a Swiss conference were told Monday.
"Due to an alarming increase in the number of HIV infections, whereby it is anticipated that an additional 45 million new infections will occur by 2010, there is an urgent need for a preventive vaccine to end the HIV pandemic both in the developing and in the developed world," Dr. Giuseppe Pantaleo said in his inaugural address at the AIDS Vaccine '04 conference in Lausanne.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases called for loosening research secrecy.
"Clearly, HIV vaccine development must be accelerated, and researchers around the world must move toward a new paradigm in which planning and coordination, sharing of data and reagents, and collaboration are paramount," Fauci said.
Some 800 scientists and researchers are attending the conference, run by the Lausanne University Hospital and EuroVacc, a Swiss foundation whose mission is to develop a vaccine against HIV and other infectious diseases.
