Motivations of People Infected with HIV to Participate in a Clinical Trial on an Ebola Vaccine Candidate in Canada

• In Event: Global Vaccine Logics: New Trends in an Old Assemblage

Abstract

The ACHIV-Ebola clinical trial, also known as the Merck V 920-015 study, is a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study designed to assess security and the safety of patients. immunogenicity of 1 or 2 doses of the ebola V920 vaccine candidate (rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP) in HIV-infected adults and adolescents. This study has the distinction of being an "African-Canadian" study conducted in adults infected with HIV on an Ebola vaccine. Our study aims to understand the implementation of this study in Montreal and the motivations of participants to engage in such research.

Our investigation is based on semi-structured interviews and observations within support structures. Preliminary results show great difficulty recruiting for this clinical trial, contrasting with some journalistic stories (Taber, 2014). Finally, 14 people are included in the trial, among them, according to the recruiters, the majority seems to share difficult socio-economic conditions and is part of other clinical trials. Very preliminary results indicate that the main motivation seems to be financial contrasting with the argument generally put forward in place of participants that is that of "helping science or society" (Tangwa et al., 2018). Nevertheless, theses results must be nuanced and discussed from the point of view of participants, their environment and access to better care. Some accounts also fit in the "advancement of science" argument.

Finally, more research is needed to understand the motivations of the participants but also of the investigators to understand the particular form that the clinical trial takes in Montreal and its moral economy.

Authors

• Pierre-Marie David, Université de Montréal

• Benjamin Olivier Mathiot, Université de Montréal