In April 1984, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Gallo’s discovery of his AIDS-causing virus, HTLV-III, and began developing his diagnostic tests. Montagnier was outraged that his team’s work was discounted.
The Road to the Discovery of HIV
Announcement
Announcing discovery of AIDS virus (1984, AIDS Truth)
"We announced the identification of the virus, and that was a tremendously important announcement on the part of HHS and Dr. Gallo. At that time, this is the place where I do feel, obviously, that I misjudged... We anticipated the subject about a vaccine. When would a vaccine be available?.... I asked Bob Gallo, "What do you think?," and he said two years. In the press conference, I did say two years, and that turned out to be totally incorrect. But at that time, we did not know that the replication of the virus would be so difficult -- and it still is a problem. It was a scientific fact that had not ever entered the picture before.”
~Margaret Heckler (Former Secretary of Health and Human Services)
Gallo’s team (1984, National Institute of Health)
Gallo published his research a year later, but his communications never credited Montagnier’s lab. However, Gallo’s publications stated that HTLV-III caused AIDS, while Montagnier’s publications “[were] unable to prove [LAV] was the causative agent.”
"Professor Gallo has not told the truth, notably in 1984 and 1985."
~Luc Montagnier