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The Merck 023 HIV Vaccine Study is a Phase II proof of concept study of an experimental vaccine that may one day prevent HIV infection or keep people who do become HIV-infected healthier. You cannot get HIV infection or AIDS by receiving this vaccine.

Further vaccinations in the Merck and Co., Inc. vaccine study have been stopped because a recent analysis showed that the vaccine does not work.
Unfortunately, the vaccine did not reduce the incidence of HIV infection and did not reduce the amount of virus in people who became infected with HIV.
Despite these disappointing results, the current plan is to continue following current study volunteers to monitor their health and offer them HIV testing and counseling. The information we will learn may provide key insights that can guide future HIV vaccine development.
As always we would like to thank our volunteers and the community for supporting our research. Finding an HIV vaccine can only move forward with the commitment of dedicated volunteers.
Click here to read the Press Release from Merck and Co., Inc and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.

Patient Population

  • HIV-negative men who have sex with men and women who have sex with men, age 18-45, in good general health
  • Female volunteers must agree to use a method of birth control for the first 9 months of the study

Study Objective

  • To test if the study vaccine lowers the chance of getting infected with HIV or lowers the levels of HIV in the blood of people who become infected with HIV
  • Volunteers are randomized (chosen randomly) to either vaccine or placebo
  • Three injections of vaccine/placebo over 6 months
  • You are closely monitored after each injection

Duration: 18 months on study; then twice-a-year follow up for 3.5 years

Phase II proof-of-concept, Double-blinded, Placebo Controlled

Click here to download Frequently Asked Questions about this Vaccine Study.

Study Scheme
This is a Phase II proof of concept study of an experimental vaccine that may one day prevent HIV infection or keep people who do become HIV-infected healthier.
This study is being conducted to answer three questions

  • Is it safe to give the study vaccine as an injection (shot) in a muscle?
  • Does the study vaccine lower the chance of getting infected with HIV?
  • If some people in this study get infected with HIV while the study is going on, does the study vaccine lower the levels of HIV in their blood?

All volunteers receive risk reduction counseling and HIV testing on a regular basis for the length of the study. The vaccine is made of an adenovirus (a common virus that causes colds and sore throats) that has been changed to contain man-made copies of genes from HIV. When the vaccine is injected, it may cause your body to make proteins that look like they came from HIV. These proteins may help your body make an infection-fighting response against HIV-1. The vaccine does NOT contain live HIV. You cannot get HIV infection or AIDS by receiving this vaccine.

For information, please call 212-263-0362.

Study Status: Closed to Enrollment; study volunteers are now in long-term follow-up.

Study Staff

  • Michael Marmor, PhD
  • Demetre Daskalakis, MD
  • Robert Hagerty
  • Gary Carlisle, RN
  • Richard Hutt, RN
  • Richard Silvera
  • Alith Maillard
  • Dylan Stein

Study Sponsors:

  • Industry

Study Volunteers Receive

  • the opportunity to participate in cutting edge vaccine research
  • frequent HIV testing and risk reduction counseling
  • reimbursement for time