The African mRNA project BRILLIANT and its efforts for HIV mRNA vaccines.
Also, the possibility of mass death due to cuts in funding for HIV treatment in South Africa.
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African mRNA vaccine project BRILLIANT and HIV
Introduction
This is an information module to support the campaign for getting an HIV vaccine.
At this time, 3/14/2025 all the HIV vaccines not using mRNA have failed. It doesn’t mean that it is impossible that a vaccine using the traditional methods can succeed, but the track record suggests that the prospects aren’t good using the traditional vaccine methods.
There have been conventional HIV vaccines tested and which have failed in Africa and elsewhere. At this time there hasn’t been an mRNA Vaccine taken to the state of final evaluation.
This is being explained so that the reader doesn’t confuse the reports of some vaccine trials in Africa as being human mRNA vaccine trials in Phase 1. They are yet to happen in South Africa.
This post is another module to provide background information for the campaign to get a HIV vaccine.
All the HIV reporting done by this newsletter since the beginning.
This is the webpage for BRILLIANT which is developing mRNA vaccines in Africa.
https://brilliant.samrc.ac.za/index.html
From the About page.
The BRILLIANT Consortium (BRinging Innovation to cLinical and Laboratory research to end HIV In Africa through New vaccine Technology), is a Cooperative Agreement with the US Agency for International Development and kicked off in September 2023.
https://brilliant.samrc.ac.za/about.html
https://brilliant.samrc.ac.za/program.html
Work that BRILLANT was doing with HIV.
BRILLIANT is at preliminary stages
Reuters, Feb. 18, 2025, “South African scientists were testing a promising HIV vaccine. Then came Trump’s aid cuts.”
The work they are doing with mRNA is at the animal test stage, which is important work, and the work that must be done to then move on to testing with humans. Moderna was at the state of having done successful testing on humans in State 1.
The first round of vaccines she and her colleagues made in Johannesburg had produced an immune response in rabbits, which was promising but not conclusive - so they tweaked the formula and sent off four new versions for pre-clinical tests.
Another article with more in depth information.
https://www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2025/03/10/us-funding-cuts-imperil-search-for-hiv-vaccine/
Announcement by IAVI.
https://www.iavi.org/features/iavi-announces-termination-of-the-pepfar-funded-advance-program/
The shutdown of research on HIV in South Africa has an impact here.
This is a significant loss though. Strategically, to get an HIV vaccine, you would like to have more than one effort. Also, there are many potential applications of mRNA vaccines, including cancer therapy, and I am sure some diseases are delayed being researched since there is a finite number of researchers available. Increasing the capacity of mRNA research would be a benefit for everyone.
The impact isn’t confined to the loss of research programs. The cuts in HIV treatment could result in mass death. The narrator is confused, they are prepared to do testing and have a plan, but they are at the stage of animal tests. Likely soon they can move on to people, if the tests results look good, and then it would be small groups to see if the vaccine is harmful and do humans have a good immune response.
The willingness of the Trump administration to allow mass death to occur in South Africa is troubling. If they are willing to have mass deaths there, it suggests maybe they would tolerate mass death of HIV patients needing public support here.
In my Nov. 17, 2024 post I pointed out that RFK Jr. had unscientific ideas about AIDS that if made into government policy, could lead to mass death of many Gays in the United States. If the U.S. government doesn’t think HIV treatment drugs work, then your insurance won’t pay for it, and there won’t be government support to cover the cost for poor patients, and if it is held not to work, like other substances that are ineffective, it will be illegal to prescribe them.
I am not saying definitely there will be mass death in South Africa or here in the United States, but the possibility is there. Hopefully, there will be no effort to make the administration of HIV drugs illegal or difficult and government support for the cost of HIV drugs for those who can’t afford it will continue.
European Union might take up the slack in funding,
However, even if they do, it will likely take some time. The HIV vaccine research is stopped for now and patients might not be getting their medicine.
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-to-invest-5bn-in-south-africa-after-us-aid-withdrawal/a-71915894
