Second Generation Molecular Clamp Platform for the Development of Subunit Vaccines for Viral Pathogens

Title:  Second Generation Molecular Clamp Platform for the Development of Subunit Vaccines for Viral Pathogens

Speaker:  Profesesor Keith Chappell, SCMB/AIBN

Bio: Prof Keith Chappell is a Molecular Virologist whose research is focused on structure-based design of vaccines for medically important viruses. Keith is one of the inventors of the broadly applicable vaccine platform, molecular clamp. Molecular clamp locks viral glycoproteins into the native prefusion conformation to elicit highly protective immunity and enables consistent manufacture of highly stable, ready-to-use, fully liquid vaccines. Keith leads a team of 22 staff and students split across two major research programs: The CEPI funded Rapid Response Vaccine Pipeline which seeks to safeguard against future pandemics and contract research conducted for the UQ biotech spinout company Vicebio Ltd. In 2020, Keith co-led the University of Queensland’s effort to produce a covid vaccine, which progressed from sequence information to clinical trial dosing within 6 months, however did not progress due to interference with some existing HIV diagnostic tests. Since that time this team as produced a new covid vaccine incorporating a second-generation molecular clamp that has completed clinical testing showing favourable safety and immunogenicity profile in comparison to approved covid vaccine, Nuvaxovid (Novavax). Vicebio is also actively advancing this technology for the development of multivalent vaccine formulations to target life-threatening respiratory viruses, with a bivalent vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus scheduled to start phase I clinical trial testing in September.