AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES EXPRESSES CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM IN
WAKE OF VACCINE ANNOUNCEMENT

Surprise announcement fosters hope but serves as reminder that there is
still no vaccine, cure for AIDS

Los Angeles, Calif., September 24, 2009 -- AIDS Project Los Angeles expressed measured optimism in the wake of the announcement that an experimental vaccine has been shown to thwart some HIV infections in a significant minority of those studied. The research, released out of Thailand overnight, marks the first time that an AIDS vaccine trial has shown a significant ability to prevent new infections.

"This morning’s news certainly buoys our hope that we will see an effective HIV vaccine in our lifetime," said APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson. "But our hope is tempered by the knowledge that, still, five people are infected with HIV every minute worldwide."

The vaccine, actually a combination of previous vaccine candidates, showed a statistically significant 31 percent efficacy rate in blocking HIV infection in a sample of more than 8,000 volunteers. Those who participated faced average levels of HIV risk.

"Certainly, a success rate this significant boosts our faith in the future of vaccine development. But, for Angelenos at highest risk – people of color, youth and men who have sex with men – the threat of HIV infection is as urgent and immediate as ever," Thompson said. "Vaccine research is only one element of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy that must include adequate funding for programs proven to end the epidemic among those most vulnerable."

In recent weeks, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated the state’s entire HIV/AIDS prevention budget, resulting in massive local cuts to prevention programs targeting the highest risk. APLA has filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the budget cuts.

AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. Marking 25 years of service in 2008, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit www.apla.org.