Center for Social Innovation

The VaxGen Inc. case details the efforts of VaxGen and its president, Don Francis, to obtain approval to conduct phase III clinical trials in Thailand for AIDSVAX, an experimental vaccine designed to protect against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. Francis must grapple with ethical questions such as: Will AIDSVAX will be effective enough to warrant the involvement of thousands of subjects in clinical trials? and what type of compensation or treatment, if any, should be offered to volunteer subjects in third-world countries where the standard for AIDS treatment is much lower than in the United States?

• Community-Centered Planning