Human trials begin on coronavirus vaccine developed by University of Queensland
"Coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine days away from animal testing, Queensland researchers believe "Trump’s flailing incompetence makes coronavirus even scarier America’s pandemic response capabilities have been systematically dismantled.""
By Talissa Siganto
Posted Yesterday at 9:39am, updated Yesterday at 2:38pm
Human trials begin in the search to find a COVID-19 vaccine.(AP: Ted S Warren)
Key points:
* 120 Queensland volunteers will be injected with the trial vaccine twice every four weeks
* Dr Paul Young says he hopes the vaccine will be ready in a year's time
* The Queensland Government has described the vaccine research as "world leading"
One hundred and twenty volunteers in Brisbane will receive their first dose of the potential immunisation, which has been developed by the University of Queensland (UQ).
Queensland COVID-19 snapshot:
Confirmed cases so far: 1,071 Deaths: 6 Patients tested: 423,911
It is one of several clinical trials being conducted around the country, including one other involving Queensland researchers and volunteers.
The trial, in which people will be injected with two doses every four weeks, will examine the safety and immune response of the vaccine among volunteers.
Researchers will measure their reactions and volunteers will be monitored over a 12-month period.
Preliminary results of the trial are expected to be released by the end of September.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was an "exciting day" for Queensland.
Researchers hope the COVID-19 vaccine will be ready in about a year.(Supplied: University of Queensland)
"It's a very big step ... not just for UQ but for Queensland," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"The work, through UQ and its scientists, is second to none."
The Queensland Government has previously invested $10 million into the study to fast-track its development.
'Advance production of millions of doses'
Professor Paul Young, a leading researcher at the university, said it was difficult to determine exactly when the vaccine would be ready but they were aiming for 12 months' time.
"To some degree that's a hard end point that we can't define," Dr Young said.
"The plan is we're in place by the middle of next year."
Dr Young said the move to human trials followed an extensive period of pre-clinical testing that researchers had been conducting since February.
"This testing showed that the vaccine was effective in the lab in neutralising the virus and safe to give to humans."
UQ researchers (from left) Trent Munro, Paul Young and Keith Chappell have fast-tracked the vaccine's development. (Supplied: UQ)
Dr Young said their partnership with a manufacturing company meant the vaccine could be available sooner.
"If things go to plan, they'll rapidly advance production of millions of doses and move the program into later stage clinical testing, regulatory approval, large-scale manufacture and distribution," Dr Young said.
"We'll hold a collective breath while we wait to see how the trial goes."
In a statement, Innovation Minister Kate Jones described the research to find a vaccine as "world leading".
"This research is putting Queensland on the map," Ms Jones said.
"The success of our research has the eyes of the world on Queensland.
"Our vaccine — made in Queensland by Queenslanders, could save millions of lives throughout the world."
Queensland researchers are one of three teams around the world working on a coronavirus vaccine. (ABC News: Curtis Rodda)
Healthy adult volunteers have received their first dose of the vaccine at the Brisbane clinic of phase 1 clinical trials specialist, Nucleus Network.
Volunteer Helen Sullivan said she put her hand up because she wanted to help "get the world back to normal".
"To get people working, to get people back seeing their families — that's quite important," Ms Sullivan said.
"I feel quite comfortable about it, [I'm] not nervous at all ... I feel quite confident that the homework has been done and we're in safe hands."
Volunteer Helen Sullivan wants to help the world get back to normal.(Supplied: UQ)
Another volunteer, Christian Fercher, said he wanted to "give something back" to the community who were impacted by the virus.
"Seeing so many people are out of jobs and are basically affected financially and also personally ... I wanted to help us get out of this as fast as possible," Mr Fercher said.
He said he also believed this would help him visit relatives who live overseas as soon as possible.
"I can't travel to my family in Austria ... and I think international flights won't happen until we have a vaccine so that's my personal motivation to do that," he said.
Coronavirus Australia: HIV false positives derail Aussie vaccine
"Coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine days away from animal testing, Queensland researchers believe"
Even while this is unfortunate, it's still gratifying to see good science in action.
Australia's coronavirus vaccine has been dealt a crushing blow after several trial participants returned false positive HIV test results.
Ben Graham bengrahamjourno
news.com.au December 10, 2020 9:43PM LIVE Last updated December 11, 2020 8:13AM AEDT
VIDEO - Watch Sky News COVID-19 channel live.
The Australian coronavirus vaccine - made by the University of Queensland- has been dealt a crushing blow after several trial participants returned false positive HIV test results.
The Morrison government’s billion-dollar deal to buy more than 50 million doses has now been terminated and UQ will abandon its current clinical trials, fearing the revelations would undermine public confidence in a COVID-19 vaccine.
It reports that the HIV detections picked up in past weeks were in fact false and the health of the participants has not been put at risk.
The vaccine uses what is called a protein and adjuvant platform, which contains the COVID-19 spike protein and a “molecular clamp”. A small part of this comes from the human immunodeficiency virus, known as HIV, that is not able to infect people or replicate.
The Sydney Morning Herald spoke to a source involved in the trial who said although all participants had been told there was a remote possibility HIV markers could be found in tests during the trial, medical researchers had not expected it to occur.
Researchers previously said the vaccine was ahead of schedule and would be available to Australians by the end of 2021. Last month, UQ vaccine project co-leader Professor Paul Young said the early indications suggest there are minimal side effects to the jab.
Australia has?entered into five separate agreements for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, if they are proved to be safe and effective, including the UQ vaccine which is being developed in partnership with Australian global biotech company CSL.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said this morning’s news shows why the government has taken the right approach.
“This is why we didn’t put all our eggs in one basket,” he told Today. “This is why we made sure there were four contracts we signed to make sure that we got a vaccine and this is intrinsically very difficult science that UQ and around the world is trying to break.
“So it was important that we didn’t just say, ‘You are the winner’, we actually spread our risk and made sure if there was a vaccine we got it and got it quickly.
“I think UQ, I wouldn’t write them off yet but I think this backs what the government has done in making sure that we said we will spread our risk and we will make sure we have multiple agencies that are looking at this and gave us the vaccine that is safe. That is the main thing. We want a vaccine that is safe and gets us back to our real lives again.”
A spokesman for the government told news.com.au earlier this week that there had positive developments across all of the candidates in recent weeks, and that Australia was still on course to start rolling out vaccines to the most vulnerable by March 2021.
It’s anticipated that anyone who wants a vaccine in Australia will be able to get one by the end of 2021.
News.com.au has contacted UQ and the Health Department for comment on the lastest UQ development.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
