US Funding Cuts Halt $45 Million African-Led mRNA HIV Vaccine Trial
Updated
Updated · Vox.com · Jul 22
US Funding Cuts Halt $45 Million African-Led mRNA HIV Vaccine Trial
2 articles · Updated · Vox.com · Jul 22
Summary
A planned African-designed mRNA HIV vaccine study was stopped in January 2025 after a $45 million USAID contract vanished under the Trump administration’s foreign-aid freeze.
US support had supplied roughly 90% of global HIV vaccine funding, and researchers say the cuts hit just as mRNA offered a faster way to test the multi-step designs needed to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies.
South Africa-based teams salvaged part of the effort with emergency local funding, but in scaled-down form and using older protein-based technology; the only mRNA HIV trial now running in Africa is a Gates-backed, US-designed study.
Political pressure has widened beyond one trial: NIH has wound down key HIV vaccine programs, South Africa collaborations lost US grant access, and Trump’s proposed 2026 budget would further slash NIAID and the NIH AIDS office.
The disruption comes as HIV still caused about 1.2 million new infections and more than 500,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2025, even while long-acting prevention drugs raise the bar for any future vaccine.
As science nears an HIV vaccine, can global health innovation survive without its largest historical funder?
While mRNA technology is defeating deadly cancers, what is now the greatest obstacle to its success against HIV?
After $400 Million U.S. HIV Funding Cut, South Africa Relaunches BRILLIANT Vaccine Trial with African Leadership
Overview
After the U.S. government abruptly cut major research funding in early 2025, the BRILLIANT HIV vaccine trial in South Africa faced a sudden delay and had to reduce its original scope. Despite these setbacks, South African researchers showed remarkable resilience by quickly securing new support and moving forward with a scaled-down version of the trial, which relaunched in January 2026 in Cape Town. This determined response not only kept the trial alive but also inspired optimism about African-led health initiatives, highlighting the growing leadership and independence of local scientists in global HIV research.