Further clinical trials of the UQ/CSL COVID-19 vaccine candidate have been called off after phase 1 results showed that participants had returned ‘false positive’ HIV tests. The UQ/CSL vaccine utilises molecular clamp technology involving components of a HIV protein. These components are unable to cause a HIV infection, however participants were shown to be creating antibodies against HIV which then leads to a false positive HIV test result.
The following article confirms that no safety concerns had been identified. It suggests that researchers acted appropriately to limit unnecessary anxiety over inaccurate test results and to reinforce public confidence in a future COVID-19 vaccine program.
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