University of Queensland’s COVID-19 candidate enters Phase 1 clinical trial

The University of Queensland’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate reached a milestone as the first participants were enrolled in its Phase 1 clinical trial.

The university’s vaccine is the seventh that is part of the portfolio of vaccines funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) that has entered clinical trials. CEPI is funding nine COVID-19 vaccine candidates overall.

In January, CEPI announced an investment of up $4.5 million to advance the development of UQ’s vaccine. CEPI and Australian biotech company CSL are partnering with UQ to fund clinical development, and industrial-scale manufacturing of the vaccine should it be approved.

The COVID-19 vaccine is based on UQ’s rapid response molecular clamp platform, which seeks to lock proteins on the surface of the virus. This allows the immune system to respond more effectively. Preclinical testing showed that the UQ vaccine was effective in inducing antibodies able to neutralize the virus. Further studies have shown that the vaccine was safe to give to people.

Approximately 120 volunteers will participate in the clinical trial, which will take place in Brisbane, Australia. The clinical trial will evaluate the safety of the vaccine and the immune response it generates. Preliminary results should be released by the end of September 2020.

If the UQ COVID-19 vaccine is successful, 100 percent of CEPI’s vaccine allocation will be distributed through COVAX, a global initiative that will ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries. COVAX plans to accelerate the availability of vaccines at scale, making 2 billion doses available in 2021.