The University of Queensland’s re-engineered clamp platform has produced a vaccine that is equally safe and virus-neutralising as an approved vaccine considered among the best in its class.
Associate Professor Keith Chappell (Image: supplied)
The pivotal proof-of-concept testing clears the way to progress the promising Clamp2 technology in a range of research programs.
Project leader, Associate Professor Keith Chappell, said the preliminary clinical trial results were an exciting reward for the team’s continued dedication and the community’s widespread support for the project.
“We compared second-generation clamp SARS-CoV-2 vaccine head-to-head with TGA-approved Nuvaxovid (Novavax), and the two were found to be functionally equivalent,” Dr Chappell said.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) has supported the team’s rapid response vaccine research for five years and last year committed up to AU$8.5 million to continue development for use in the global response to future disease outbreaks.
As part of UQ’s partnering agreement with CEPI, and in line with CEPI’s equitable access policy, UQ agrees that vaccine candidates produced using their platform technology will be available in an outbreak situation to populations at risk including in low-income and middle-income countries.
