The US government has cut off $258 million in funding to the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), including $129 million to Duke University, over concerns that current approaches are sufficient to combat the virus.
Researchers at CHAVD had been working on developing vaccines that could guide the immune system to produce a set of antibodies to neutralize HIV. The center, which is led by the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and the Scripps Research Institute, received $129 million in 2019 for its work.
The decision comes as part of sweeping federal cuts to HIV research, including the cancellation of funding for a clinical trial of Moderna’s HIV vaccines. According to experts, HIV has no cure, and if left untreated, it can progress to AIDS, affecting nearly 40,000 people in the US annually.
CHAVD’s effort was a leader in its field, facilitating collaborations among researchers worldwide to develop an effective vaccine. The center had also established a manufacturing facility for producing HIV vaccines, making it one of only a few at academic medical centers.
Source: https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2025/05/duke-university-trump-terminates-center-for-hiv-aids-vaccine-development-129-million-grant-chavd-human-vaccine-institute