Summary Background The 2013–15 Ebola virus disease epidemic in west Africa greatly accelerated the development of Ebola vaccine. We aimed to analyse the immune persistence induced by one shot of an ...adenovirus type-5 vector-based Ebola virus vaccine up to 6 months and the effect of boosting with a homologous vector in healthy adults in China. Methods In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 clinical trial in one site in Jiangsu Province, China, 120 healthy adults aged 18–60 years received an initial dose of intramuscular adenovirus type-5 Ebola virus vaccine of 4·0 × 1010 viral particles, 1·6 × 1011 viral particles, or placebo, and were followed up to day 168. Participants were subsequently re-recruited to receive a booster dose of the same vaccine or placebo, in the same dose, at month 6. Women who were pregnant, breastfeeding, or planned to become pregnant during the next month were excluded. Randomisation was conducted by computer-generated block randomisation. Randomisation data were unmasked for interim analysis of the data obtained between days 0–28 but not disclosed to participants or site staff. Safety and immunogenicity analysis were done on the intention-to-treat population. We aimed to assess the safety profile of the experimental vaccine and the immunity responses to a single-dose immunisation or a homologous prime-boost regimen. Primary outcomes were Ebola glycoprotein-specific ELISA antibody responses 28 days post-boost and the occurrences of adverse reactions post-boost. The original trial and the extended booster study were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , numbers NCT02326194 and NCT02533791 , respectively. Findings Between Dec 28, 2014, and Jan 9, 2015, we enrolled 210 volunteers. 90 participants were not randomised due to not meeting inclusion criteria (61), meeting exclusion criteria (4), or withdrawal of consent (25). 120 people were randomly assigned to receive intramuscular Ebola vaccine at 4·0 × 1010 viral particles (low dose, n=40), Ebola vaccine at 1·6 × 1011 viral particles (high dose, n=40), or placebo (n=40, in two groups of 20). After prime vaccination, the geometric mean titer (GMT) of ELISA EC90 peaked at 682·7 (95% CI 424·3–1098·5) in the low-dose vaccine group and 1305·7 (970·1–1757·2) in the high-dose vaccine group at day 28, and then fell gradually through the next a few months to 575·5 (394·8–838·8) in the high-dose vaccine group and 197·9 (107·9–362·7) in the low-dose vaccine group at day 168. No specific response was recorded in the placebo group with a GMT of 5·0. Of the 120 participants involved in the initial trial, ten participants declined to participate, and 110 were included in the boost immunisation: 38 received the low dose, 35 received the high dose, and 37 received the placebo. At day 28 after boost vaccination, the ELISA EC90 titres rapidly rose to 6110 (95% CI 4705–7935) in the low-dose group and to 11825 (8904–15705) in the high dose group. 78 of 110 participants reported at least one solicited adverse reaction within the first 7 days after booster administration. Both of the groups who received vaccine showed significantly higher incidence of mild or moderate solicited adverse reactions than did the placebo group. Interpretation The adenovirus 5-vectored Ebola vaccine of 1·6 × 1011 viral particles was highly immunogenic and safe. The lower dose of 4·0 × 1010 viral particles was also safe, but immunogenicity seemed to be more vulnerable to the pre-existing immunity of adenovirus 5. A homologous priming-boosting regimen with adenovirus type-5 Ebola vaccine at 6 months interval was able to elicit greater antibody responses with longer duration. These results support an immunisation strategy to implement a booster injection for a more durable protection against Ebola virus disease. Funding Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and The National Health and Family Planning Commission, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, and Tianjin CanSino Biotechnology.
Summary Background A vaccine for enterovirus 71 (EV71) is needed to address the high burden of disease associated with infection. We assessed the efficacy, safety, immunogenicity, antibody ...persistence, and immunological correlates of an inactivated alum-adjuvant EV71 vaccine. Methods We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Healthy children aged 6–35 months from four centres in China were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive vaccine or alum-adjuvant placebo at day 0 and 28, according to a randomisation list (block size 30) generated by an independent statistician. Investigators and participants and their guardians were masked to the assignment. Primary endpoints were EV71-associated hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and EV71-associated disease during the surveillance period from day 56 to month 14, analysed in the per-protocol population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01508247. Findings 10 245 participants were enrolled and assigned: 5120 to vaccine versus 5125 to placebo. 4907 (with three cases of EV71-associated HFMD and eight cases of EV71-associated disease) versus 4939 (with 30 cases of EV71-associated HFMD and 41 cases of EV71-associated disease) were included in the primary efficacy analysis. Vaccine efficacy was 90·0% (95% CI 67·1–96·9) against EV71-associated HFMD (p=0·0001) and 80·4% (95% CI 58·2–90·8) against EV71-associated disease (p<0·0001). Serious adverse events were reported by 62 of 5117 (1·2%) participants in the vaccine group versus 75 of 5123 (1·5%) in the placebo group (p=0·27). Adverse events occurred in 3644 (71·2%) versus 3603 (70·3%; p=0·33). Interpretation EV71 vaccine provides high efficacy, satisfactory safety, and sustained immunogenicity. Funding China's 12–5 National Major Infectious Disease Program, Beijing Vigoo Biological.
Summary Background A recombinant adenovirus type-5 vector-based vaccine expressing the glycoprotein of Ebola Zaire Makona variant showed good safety and immunogenicity in a phase 1 trial of healthy ...Chinese adults. We aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in healthy adults in Sierra Leone and to determine the optimal dose. Methods We did a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 clinical trial at Sierra Leone–China Friendship Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone. We recruited healthy adults aged 18–50 years who were HIV negative, had no history of Ebola virus infection, and had no previous immunisation with other Ebola vaccine candidates. Participants were sequentially enrolled and randomly assigned (2:1:1), by computer-generated block randomisation (block size of eight), to receive the high-dose vaccine (1·6 × 1011 viral particles), low-dose vaccine (8·0 × 1010 viral particles), or placebo (containing only vaccine excipients, with no viral particles). Participants, investigators, and study staff (except two study pharmacists) were masked from treatment allocation. The primary safety outcome was occurrence of solicited adverse reactions within 7 days of vaccination, analysed by intention to treat. The primary immunogenicity outcome was glycoprotein-specific antibody responses at days 14, 28, and 168 after vaccination, analysed in all vaccinated participants who had blood samples drawn for antibody tests. The trial is registered with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, number PACTR201509001259869, and is completed. Findings During Oct 10–28, 2015, 500 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive the high-dose vaccine (n=250), low-dose vaccine (n=125), or placebo (n=125). 132 (53%) participants in the high-dose group, 60 (48%) in the low-dose group, and 54 (43%) in the placebo group reported at least one solicited adverse reaction within 7 days of vaccination. Most adverse reactions were mild and self-limiting. Solicited injection-site adverse reactions were significantly more frequent in vaccine recipients (65 26% in high-dose group and 31 25% in low-dose group) than in those receiving placebo (17 14%; p=0·0169). Glycoprotein-specific antibody responses were detected from day 14 onwards (geometric mean titre 1251·0 95% CI 976·6–1602·5 in low-dose group and 1728·4 1459·4–2047·0 in high-dose group) and peaked at day 28 (1471·8 1151·0–1881·8 and 2043·1 1762·4–2368·4), but declined quickly in the following months (223·3 148·2–336·4 and 254·2 185·0–349·5 at day 168). Geometric mean titres in the placebo group remained around 6·0–6·8 throughout the study period. Three serious adverse events (malaria, gastroenteritis, and one fatal asthma episode) were reported in the high-dose vaccine group, but none was deemed related to the vaccine. Interpretation The recombinant adenovirus type-5 vector-based Ebola vaccine was safe and highly immunogenic in healthy Sierra Leonean adults, and 8·0 × 1010 viral particles was the optimal dose. Funding Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health and Family Planning Commission, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, and Tianjin CanSino Biotechnology.