May 18, 2026
On this HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, AVAC is sharing resources and perspectives on the HIV vaccine pipeline, the science behind neutralizing antibodies, the state of bNAb combinations, and the broader state of HIV research amid the destruction and devastation of science and the HIV response.
While an HIV vaccine remains elusive, in the current environment of threats to science, vaccines and the global HIV/AIDS response, HVAD serves as an important moment to re-commit to HIV vaccine R&D and the essential role of discovery science as part of a comprehensive, integrated and sustained response.
Read on for resources to support your advocacy.
The People’s Research Agenda (PRA): Preventive Vaccines
AVAC and partners’ PRA outlines the path forward for HIV vaccine research and development, identifying critical gaps from the need for a shared target product profile to stronger coordination and sustained political support to accelerate progress.
HIV Vaccine Clinical Trials Pipeline
This graphic summarizes the state of HIV vaccine research, detailing the different immunological approaches in clinical trials, the specific candidates being studied, and the collaborative networks of funders and developers working toward a safe and durable vaccine.
Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Combinations
HIV vaccine research today is focused on early-stage, iterative discovery approaches designed to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) and T-cell responses. This graphic provides an overview of the combinations of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) under investigation in early clinical studies for HIV prevention.
An HIV Vaccine—Looking into the future with Nina Russell
Last HVAD we recorded a podcast with Nina Russell of the Gates Foundation exploring why an HIV vaccine remains essential alongside the scale up of PrEP, unpacking the science, the challenges and what it will take to achieve a durable end to the epidemic. She notes: “It’s the science that gives me the most hope…We’ve seen, over and over again, and COVID was a great example of this, that the science that’s been coming out of the HIV vaccine field has been driving innovation across sectors in global health.”