GENEVA Human trials are beginning on low cost contraceptive vaccine that scientists say prevents pregnancy for two years or longer and could be a weapon in stopping the world’s population explosion.

Developed over the past 10 years under World Health Organization auspices, the vaccine could be on the market by the mid: 1990’S if the human trials now getting under way are successful.

WHO says the vaccine could prove more important than the pill, which is mainly used only in advanced countries.

“If itis ever mass produced, it would cost only 10 to 30 US. cents for one shot,” said David Griffin, a British scientist heading a WHO task force on’ Vaccines for Fertility Control

“What we are testing now is a first-generation vaccine introduced by injection. But technology in this field is moving so fast that perhaps Tater there will be a simple oral vaccine.”

Population growth is almost zero in most advanced countries but is rising continually in the Third World. Total global population has just passed the 5 billion mark and will top 5.25 billion by 1990, experts predict.

They warn it will reach 6.13 billion by the year 2000 and 8,2 billion by 2025 unless birth control is introduced on a massive scale.

Africa’s population will treble, ‘Asia and Latin America will double.

‘WHO officials say they usually can only advise on birth control in many countries because of social, religious and even political resistance.

Field officials also have difficulty in teaching women in developing countries how to use existing methods like inter uterine devices.

Griffin said WHO has yet to conduct in depth sociological studies on the acceptability of a birth control vaccine.

“But we have had some preliminary feedback from a few important countries such as India indicating that it would be acceptable,” he said,

A contraceptive vaccine is a relatively old concept. Initial studies were made independently of WHO as long as 20 years ago.

For the past 10 years, however, ‘WHO has financed and coordinated laboratory research in the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, Soviet Union and Kenya

‘The vaccine now being tested ‘on women volunteers in Adelaide.

Australia, was developed by Ohio State University in collaboration with the other institutions as well as the pharmaceutical industry.

Animal tests over the previous four years showed it prevented pregnancy in baboons without side effects.

Current human trials at the Finder’s Medical Center in Adelaide one of the collaborating institutions involve 30 already sterilized women and will last nine ‘months.

 “Actually, far more women came forward as soon as the Australian authorities approved the trials,” Griffin said. “It’s good to know that we have a reserve.” These “Phase I” trials will determine the safety of the vaccine, although antibody levels in the volunteers will provide “an nidi cation” of pregnancy prevention.

 Trials on fertile women under Phase IT are likely in another four or five years, Griffin said, with further animal tests in between.

 “We hope for an effectiveness of at least one year, otherwise there ‘would be little advantage to the vaccine,” the scientist continued. “Ideally pregnancy would be prevented for two years or even longer, maybe even three years.

“Effectiveness is difficult to predict at the outset as it very much depends on the genetics of the

individual. But the vaccine may prove to be as important a development in birth control technology as the contraceptive pill and offers number of advantages over many current methods,”

The vaccine is based on a hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), which is produced after fertilization and which is necessary for establishing and maintaining early pregnancy.

When injected, the vaccine triggers an immune response that neutralizes the hormone and erupts the reproductive process before the fertilized egg has implanted itself successfully in the womb.

VIENNA, Austria Two Soviet dissidents carrying visas for Austria and Israel arrived in Vienna Friday and said they hoped to immigrate to the United States, a spokesman at Amnesty International said.

Alexei Luzhnikov and his wife, Olga, are members of the unofficial peace movement. The Group to Establish Trust between the USA. and the USSR.

‘Alexei Luzhnikov was also a member of Amnesty International in Moscow in 1983, the spokesman said.

CAIRO, Egypt A lawyer has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against President Reagan for ordering the interception of an Egyptian airliner. In Saturdays early editions, the newspaper Al Abram said attorney Mustafa Ashoub demanded $10 billion from Reagan for offending “the feelings and dignity of the Egyptian people, which they cherish and defend until death.”

The newspaper said the suit will be heard in Cairo’s southern district May 6.

US jets intercepted the Egyptian airliner that carried the four Palestinian hijackers of the Italian ship on Oct. 10 and forced it 10 land at a NATO base in Sicily. The hijackers awaiting trial in Italy.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1986