Safety and Effectiveness of PENNVAX-B Vaccine Alone, With Il-12, or IL-15 in Healthy Adults

A Phase I Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of PENNVAX-B (Gag, Pol, Env) Given Alone, With IL-12 DNA, or With a Dose Escalation of IL-15 DNA, in Healthy, HIV-1-uninfected Adults Participants

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, tolerability, and immune response to the DNA HIV vaccine, PENNVAX-B alone, in combination with IL-12, or with 2 different doses of IL-15.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: HIV Infections
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: PennVax B; Biological: IL-15; Biological: IL-12

Detailed Description

A vaccine that is effective against multiple strains of HIV remains the best option for preventing the spread of HIV. Plasmid DNA vaccines are inexpensive and easy to construct. When DNA vaccines are administered in combination with cytokines, such as IL-12 or IL-15, the immune response to the vaccine is increased. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and tolerability of the DNA plasmid vaccine, PENNVAX-B when administered alone, or with IL-12 or IL-15 DNA adjuvants. The most effective and safe dose of IL-15 will also be determined during this study.

This study will last approximately 12 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups. Group 1 will receive an injection of PENNVAX-B combined with 0.8 mg IL-15 in each deltoid or placebo. Group 2 will receive an injection of PENNVAX-B alone or placebo. Group 3 will receive an injection of PENNVAX-B combined with IL-12 in each deltoid or placebo. Group 4 will receive PENNVAX-B combined with 2 mg IL-15 or placebo. Injections will occur at study entry, Months 1, 3, and 6. Additional study visits will occur on Days 14, 42, 98, 182, 273, and 364. At these visits a brief physical, blood collection, interview, and risk reduction counseling will occur. At some visits HIV testing, urine collection, and pregnancy tests will also occur.

As of 05/30/08, participants will be enrolled into Groups 3 and 4 at a limited pace to allow for additional safety reviews for the first few participants in these groups. Additionally, safety data will be reviewed for Groups 1 and 2 to determine whether the remainder of participants in Groups 2, 3, and 4 will be enrolled.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 120
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Alabama
    • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294
      • Alabama Vaccine CRS
  • California
    • San Francisco, California, United States
      • San Francisco Vaccine and Prevention CRS
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States
      • Brigham and Women's Hosp. CRS
  • New York
    • Bronx, New York, United States, 10456
      • NY Blood Ctr./Bronx CRS
    • New York, New York, United States, 10003
      • NY Blood Ctr./Union Square CRS
    • New York, New York, United States, 10032
      • HIV Prevention & Treatment CRS
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
      • 3535 Market Street CRS
  • Tennessee
    • Nashville, Tennessee, United States
      • Vanderbilt Vaccine CRS

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• HIV-1 and -2 uninfected
• Willing to receive HIV test results
• Good general health
• Certain laboratory values within normal range or with site physician approval
• Negative for Hepatitis B surface antigen
• Negative Hepatitis C test
• Willing to use acceptable methods of contraception

Exclusion Criteria:

• HIV vaccines or placebos in prior HIV trial. Participants who can provide documentation that they received a placebo in a prior HIV trial may be eligible.
• Immunosuppressive medications within 168 days prior to first study vaccination. Participants using corticosteroid nasal spray for allergies or topical corticosteroids for mild, uncomplicated dermatitis are not excluded.
• Blood products within 120 days prior to first study vaccination
• Receipt of immunoglobulin within 60 days prior to first vaccination
• Live attenuated vaccines within 30 days prior to first study vaccination
• Any vaccine that is not a live attenuated vaccine within 14 days prior to first study vaccination
• Investigational research agents within 60 days prior to first study vaccination
• Current anti-tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy or treatment clinically significant medical condition, abnormal physical exam findings, abnormal laboratory results, or past medical history that may affect current health. More information about this criterion can be found in the protocol.
• Any medical, psychiatric, social, occupational, or other condition or responsibility that in the opinion of the investigator would interfere with the study. More information about this criterion can be found in the protocol.
• Allergy to amide-type local anesthetics
• Serious adverse reactions to vaccines
• Autoimmune disease or immunodeficiency
• Active syphilis infection. Participants who have been fully treated for syphilis over 6 months prior to study entry are not excluded.
• Asthma other than mild, well-controlled asthma. More information on this criterion can be found in the protocol.
• Type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Participants with histories of isolated gestational diabetes are not excluded.
• Thyroidectomy or thyroid disease requiring medication during the 12 months prior to study entry
• Accumulation of fluid in the blood vessels (angioedema) within 3 years prior to study entry if episodes are considered serious or have required medication in the 2 years prior to study entry
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Body Mass Index of 40 or greater OR of 35 or greater if certain other criteria apply. More information about these criteria can be found in the protocol
• Bleeding disorder
• Cancer. Participants with surgically removed cancer that is unlikely to recur are not excluded.
• Seizure disorder
• Absence of the spleen
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 1; PENNVAX-B with 0.8 mg IL-15 administered in both deltoids at Months 0, 1, 3, and 6	Biological: PennVax B; DNA vaccine containing the HIV genes Gag, Pol, and Env; Biological: IL-15; Cytokine injection
Experimental: 2; PENNVAX-B administered alone in both deltoids at Months 0, 1, 3, and 6	Biological: PennVax B; DNA vaccine containing the HIV genes Gag, Pol, and Env
Experimental: 3; PENNVAX-B administered alone in both deltoids at Months 0, 1, 3, and 6	Biological: PennVax B; DNA vaccine containing the HIV genes Gag, Pol, and Env; Biological: IL-12; Cytokine injection
Experimental: 4; PENNVAX-B with 2 mg IL-15 injected into both deltoids at Months 0, 1, 3, and 6	Biological: PennVax B; DNA vaccine containing the HIV genes Gag, Pol, and Env; Biological: IL-15; Cytokine injection

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Safety data including local and systemic reactogenicity sign and symptoms, laboratory measures of safety, and adverse and serious adverse events	Throughout study
Safety data from Groups 1 and 4	Throughout study

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
HIV-1 specific interferon gamma ELISpot and/or intracellular cytokine staining T cell response	2 weeks after 3rd and 4th vaccinations
HIV-1 specific neutralizing and binding antibody assays	2 weeks after 3rd and 4th vaccinations

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
• Collaborators: HIV Vaccine Trials Network
• Investigators: Study Chair: Scott Parker, MD, HVTN, FHCRC

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Jin X, Morgan C, Yu X, DeRosa S, Tomaras GD, Montefiori DC, Kublin J, Corey L, Keefer MC; NIAID HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Multiple factors affect immunogenicity of DNA plasmid HIV vaccines in human clinical trials. Vaccine. 2015 May 11;33(20):2347-53. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.03.036. Epub 2015 Mar 25.
• Johnston MI, Fauci AS. An HIV vaccine--evolving concepts. N Engl J Med. 2007 May 17;356(20):2073-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra066267. No abstract available.
• Ogawa H, Ueno M, Uchibori H, Matsumoto I, Seno N. Direct carbohydrate analysis of glycoproteins electroblotted onto polyvinylidene difluoride membrane from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel. Anal Biochem. 1990 Nov 1;190(2):165-9. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(90)90175-9.
• McBurney SP, Ross TM. Developing broadly reactive HIV-1/AIDS vaccines: a review of polyvalent and centralized HIV-1 vaccines. Curr Pharm Des. 2007;13(19):1957-64. doi: 10.2174/138161207781039841.

Helpful Links

• Click here to learn more about the HIV Vaccine Trials Network

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 10, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 10, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): September 12, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 14, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 13, 2021
• Last Verified: October 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: HIV Seronegativity; HIV Preventive Vaccine; DNA Plasmid Vaccine
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Infections; Blood-Borne Infections; Communicable Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Lentivirus Infections; Retroviridae Infections; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Immune System Diseases; HIV Infections
• Other Study ID Numbers: HVTN 070; 10490 (Other Identifier: CTEP)