US government ends $258 million HIV Vaccine program

The Donald Trump administration ended a major $258 million HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) vaccine research initiative, dealing a setback to ongoing efforts to develop an effective vaccine against the virus, as per reports.

According to official sources, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is expected to redirect its priorities toward leveraging existing tools and methods to combat and potentially eliminate HIV/AIDS, rather than continuing long-term vaccine development through the terminated program.

The discontinued initiative focused on understanding antibody specificity and function across different parts of the body, aiming to stimulate broad and long-lasting neutralising antibody responses through vaccination.

Research under the program also involved evaluating viral envelope variants, testing a range of immunogens and adjuvants, and experimenting with innovative vaccine delivery systems and schedules. 

These efforts were supported by animal model studies for proof-of-concept and included the design and production of candidate vaccines for early-phase clinical trials using Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.