COVID vaccine dropped after it showed false HIV results in Australia

Development of a COVID-19 vaccine in Australia was halted after clinical trial produced false positive HIV results among subjects involved in testing. As per the country’s Health Minister Greg Hunt, developers of the vaccines used a small amount of HIV protein as a “molecular clamp” which eventually triggered anti-body response. Citing the reason for abandoning the vaccine, he said that it could hinder in the HIV screening of people who are inoculated.

“The Phase 1 data also showed the generation of antibodies directed towards fragments of a protein (gp41), which is a component used to stablise the vaccine. Trial participants were fully informed of the possibility of a partial immune response to this component, but it was unexpected that the levels induced would interfere with certain HIV tests,” developers said in a statement.

'v451'

The COVID-19 vaccine v451 was developed by the University of Queensland and was still in its first phase of trials. "The University of Queensland vaccine will not be able to proceed based on the scientific advice, and that will no longer feature as part of Australia's vaccine plan," PM Scott Morrison told reporters.

However, one of the researchers, Professor Paul Young insisted that the HIV protein used in the vaccine was "completely harmless" and posed no health risk to those who took part in trials.

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The abandoning of the University of Queensland vaccine candidate has now prompted the country’s government to re-direct funds to securing doses of other COVID-19 vaccines such as that of Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca.

Earlier Health Minister, Greg Hunt has said that a potential COVID-19 vaccine could be available to all Australians in the third quarter of 2021. Speaking at a press briefing, Hunt said that the vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland was ahead of schedule and was “doing its job”.

"Biotech firm CSL has completed the manufacturing of the vaccine candidate to allow the third stage of clinical trials to begin. That is an extraordinary development…. It means that this vaccine will potentially be available, subject to the results of those trials, for delivery to Australians early in the third quarter of 2021,” he said.

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Image: AP