ViceBio
Project summary
Keith Chappell was the Lead Scientific Advisor for Vicebio. Vicebio were founded to develop the patented Molecular Clamp technology invented at The University of Queensland, Australia and exclusively licensed to Vicebio by UniQuest, the commercialisation company of UQ. Vicebio were acquired by Sanofi in 2025.
The Chappell group at AIBN deliver contract research and consultancy to Sanofi for the development of improved or multivalent vaccines using the Molecular Clamp2 platform to target respiratory viral infectious diseases. Sanofi’s vaccines VXB-241 targeting RSV and hMPV and VXB-251 (with the addition of PIV3), both based on antigens designed and developed by the Chappell group, are now progressing through Phase I clinical testing.
As well as laser-focused antigen design and development, the Vicebio team also excel in assay development and validation, and clinical trial support services related to exploratory endpoints.
https://www.sanofi.com/en/magazine/our-science/shape-matters-inside-molecular-clamp-vaccines
Patents
Chimeric molecules and uses thereof https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2018176103A1/en
Improved chimeric polypeptides and uses thereof https://patents.google.com/patent/AU2023242948A1/en
Publication
Young A, Kolekar S, Mendoza CA, Jaberolansar N, Modhiran N, Webb T, McCuaig R, Kommajosyula V, Tardiota N, Dy Q, Amarilla AA, Dalrymple RL, Gillard M, Dutton JL, Magdalena J, Vandendriessche F, Smal J, Young PR, Watterson D, Hanon EJ, Chappell KJ. A second-generation molecular clamp stabilised bivalent candidate vaccine for protection against diseases caused by respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus. PLoS Pathog. 2025 Jul 17;21(7):e1013312. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013312. PMID: 40674411; PMCID: PMC12270161.
A platform technology for generating subunit vaccines against diverse viral pathogens.
Young A, Isaacs A, Scott CAP, Modhiran N, McMillan CLD, Cheung STM, Barr J, Marsh G, Thakur N, Bailey D, Li KSM, Luk HKH, Kok KH, Lau SKP, Woo PCY, Furuyama W, Marzi A, Young PR, Chappell KJ, Watterson D. Front Immunol. 2022 Aug 18;13:963023. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.963023.
Combinatorial F-G Immunogens as Nipah and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Candidates.
Isaacs A, Cheung STM, Thakur N, Jaberolansar N, Young A, Modhiran N, Bailey D, Graham SP, Young PR, Chappell KJ, Watterson D.Viruses. 2021 Sep 28;13(10):1942. doi: 10.3390/v13101942.
Development of molecular clamp stabilized hemagglutinin vaccines for Influenza A viruses.
McMillan CLD, Cheung STM, Modhiran N, Barnes J, Amarilla AA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Lee LYY, Guilfoyle K, van Amerongen G, Stittelaar K, Jakob V, Lebas C, Reading P, Short KR, Young PR, Watterson D, Chappell KJ. NPJ Vaccines. 2021 Nov 8;6(1):135. doi: 10.1038/s41541-021-00395-4
Adjuvant Selection for Influenza and RSV Prefusion Subunit Vaccines.
Isaacs A, Li Z, Cheung STM, Wijesundara DK, McMillan CLD, Modhiran N, Young PR, Ranasinghe C, Watterson D, Chappell KJ.Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Jan 20;9(2):71. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9020071.