VAC071: A Study to Assess Efficacy of the ChAd63/MVA PvDBP Vaccines

A Phase IIa Challenge Study to Assess Efficacy of the Plasmodium Vivax Malaria Vaccine Candidates ChAd63 PvDBP and MVA PvDBP in Healthy Adults Living in the UK

This is an open label, Phase IIa, controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) study aimed to assess whether the new vivax malaria vaccines ChAd63 PvDBP and MVA PvDBP can protect against malaria infection.

The participants will receive one or two doses of ChAd63 PvDBP followed by one dose of MVA PvDBP 8 weeks later.

Approximately 4 weeks after the second vacccination, the volunteers will be challenged (deliberately infected) with malaria by intravenous injection blood-stage

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Malaria, Vivax
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: ChAd63 PvDBP and MVA PvDBP

Detailed Description

Volunteers will be recruited and vaccinated at the CCVTM, Oxford.

There will be two groups vaccinated in the trial, with an optional third group included if fewer than 6 volunteers complete group 2. Up to 19 volunteers will be included in total. These will be compared to a matched number of infectivity controls, receiving no vaccination, who will be recruited as part of a separate study (VAC069 - NCT03797989).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Oxfordshire
    • Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, OX3 7LE
      • Centre for Clinical Vaccinology & Tropical Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 43 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy adult aged 18 to 45 years.
• Red blood cells positive for the Duffy antigen/chemokine receptor (DARC).
• Normal serum levels of Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD).
• Able and willing (in the Investigator's opinion) to comply with all study requirements.
• Willing to allow the Investigators to discuss the volunteer's medical history with their General Practitioner.
• Women only: Must practice continuous effective contraception* for the duration of the study
• Agreement to permanently refrain from blood donation
• Written informed consent to participate in the trial.
• Reachable (24/7) by mobile phone during the period between CHMI and completion of all antimalarial treatment.
• Willing to take a curative anti-malarial regimen following CHMI.
• Willing to reside in Oxford for the duration of the study, until antimalarials have been completed.

• Answer all questions on the informed consent quiz correctly.

  • Female volunteers are required to use an effective form of contraception during the course of the study as malaria challenge could pose a serious risk to both maternal health and the unborn foetus.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of clinical malaria (any species).
• Travel to a clearly malaria endemic locality during the study period or within the preceding six months.
• Current or planned treatment with long-acting immune-modifying drugs at any time during the study period (e.g. infliximab).
• Chronic use of antibiotics with antimalarial effects (e.g. tetracyclines for dermatologic patients, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for recurrent urinary tract infections, etc.).
• Weight less than 50kg, as measured at the screening visit.
• Receipt of immunoglobulins within the three months prior to planned administration of the vaccine candidate.
• Receipt of blood products (e.g., blood transfusion) at any time in the past.
• Peripheral venous access unlikely to allow twice daily blood testing (as determined by the Investigator).
• Receipt of an investigational product in the 30 days preceding enrolment, or planned receipt during the study period.
• Receipt of any vaccine in the 30 days preceding enrolment, or planned receipt of any other vaccine within 30 days preceding or following each study vaccination, with the exception of licensed COVID-19 vaccines, which should not be received within 14 days before or 7 days after any study vaccination.
• Planned receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine between 2 weeks before the day of CHMI until completion of antimalarial treatment
• Concurrent involvement in another clinical trial or planned involvement during the study period.
• Prior receipt of an investigational vaccine likely to impact on interpretation of the trial data or the P. vivax parasite as assessed by the Investigator.
• History of sickle cell anaemia, sickle cell trait, thalassaemia or thalassaemia trait or any haematological condition that could affect susceptibility to malaria infection.
• Any confirmed or suspected immunosuppressive or immunodeficient state, including HIV infection; asplenia; recurrent, severe infections and chronic (more than 14 days) immunosuppressant medication within the past 6 months (inhaled and topical steroids are allowed).
• History of allergic disease or reactions likely to be exacerbated by any component of the vaccine e.g. egg products, Kathon, aminoglycosides.
• History of allergic disease or reactions likely to be exacerbated by malaria infection.
• History of clinically significant contact dermatitis.
• Any history of anaphylaxis in reaction to vaccinations.
• Pregnancy, lactation or intention to become pregnant during the study.
• Use of medications known to cause prolongation of the QT interval and existing contraindication to the use of Malarone.
• Use of medications known to have a potentially clinically significant interaction with Riamet and Malarone.
• Any clinical condition known to prolong the QT interval.
• History of cardiac arrhythmia, including clinically relevant bradycardia.
• Disturbances of electrolyte balance, e.g. hypokalaemia or hypomagnesaemia.
• Family history of congenital QT prolongation or sudden death.
• Contraindications to the use of both of the proposed anti-malarial medications; Riamet Malarone.
• History of cancer (except basal cell carcinoma of the skin and cervical carcinoma in situ).
• History of serious psychiatric condition that may affect participation in the study.
• Any other serious chronic illness requiring hospital specialist supervision.
• Suspected or known current alcohol abuse as defined by an alcohol intake of greater than 25 standard UK units every week.
• Suspected or known injecting drug abuse in the 5 years preceding enrolment.
• Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) detected in serum.
• Seropositive for hepatitis C virus (antibodies to HCV) at screening or (unless has taken part in a prior hepatitis C vaccine study with confirmed negative HCV antibodies prior to participation in that study, and negative HCV RNA PCR at screening for this study).
• Positive family history in both 1st AND 2nd degree relatives < 50 years old for cardiac disease.
• Volunteers unable to be closely followed for social, geographic or psychological reasons.
• Any clinically significant abnormal finding on biochemistry or haematology blood tests, urinalysis or clinical examination. In the event of abnormal test results, confirmatory repeat tests will be requested. Procedures for identifying laboratory values meeting exclusion criteria are shown in SOP VC027.
• Any other significant disease, disorder, or finding which may significantly increase the risk to the volunteer because of participation in the study, affect the ability of the volunteer to participate in the study or impair interpretation of the study data.
• Inability of the study team to contact the volunteer's GP to confirm medical history and safety to participate.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group 1; 3 volunteers receiving 5 x 10^10 vp ChAd63 PvDBP and 2 x 10^8 pfu MVA PvDBP 8 weeks later, in a heterologous prime-boost regimen, followed by blood-stage CHMI 2-4 weeks later.	Biological: ChAd63 PvDBP and MVA PvDBP; one dose of 5 x 10^10 vp ChAd63 PvDBP and one dose of 2 x 10^8 pfu MVA PvDBP 8 weeks later, in a heterologous prime-boost regimen.
Experimental: Group 2; Up to 10 volunteers receiving one dose of 5 x 10^10 vp ChAd63 PvDBP, 12-18 months later receiving a second dose of 5 x 10^10 vp ChAd63 PvDBP and 8 weeks later 2 x 10^8 pfu MVA PvDBP, followed by blood-stage CHMI 2-4 weeks later.	Biological: ChAd63 PvDBP and MVA PvDBP; one dose of 5 x 10^10 vp ChAd63 PvDBP and one dose of 2 x 10^8 pfu MVA PvDBP 8 weeks later, in a heterologous prime-boost regimen.
Experimental: Group 3; If fewer than 6 volunteers complete the study in Group 2, then new volunteers will be recruited into Group 3, to make up a total of 6 volunteers between Groups 2 and 3 who complete all vaccinations and CHMI. Volunteers in Group 3 will receive 5 x 10^10 vp ChAd63 PvDBP and 2 x10^8 pfu MVA PvDBP 8 weeks later, in a heterologous prime-boost regimen, followed by blood-stage CHMI 2-4 weeks later.	Biological: ChAd63 PvDBP and MVA PvDBP; one dose of 5 x 10^10 vp ChAd63 PvDBP and one dose of 2 x 10^8 pfu MVA PvDBP 8 weeks later, in a heterologous prime-boost regimen.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Efficacy of the ChAd63 and MVA PvDBP Vaccines, Administered in a Heterologous Prime-boost Regimen, Assessed by a Reduced Parasite Multiplication Rate in Vaccinated Subjects	Quantitative PCR-derived parasite multiplication rate (PMR) will be the primary efficacy endpoint and a comparison of the endpoint between Groups 1, 2 and 3 (pooled data) and malaria-naïve controls partaking in simultaneous CHMI, under identical conditions, will constitute the primary analysis for efficacy.	3 months post CHMI

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Safety of the ChAd63 and MVA PvDBP Vaccines Andidates, Administered in a Heterologous Prime-boost Regimen in a CHMI Study in Healthy Volunteers	No of participants reporting adverse event	Within 28 days following each vaccination. Vaccinations occurred at 0 and 2 months in Groups 1 and 3 (ChAd63, MVA PvDBP); and at 0, 17 and 19 months in Group 2 (ChAd63, ChAd63, MVA PvDBP).
The Humoral Immunogenicity ChAd63 and MVA PvDBP Vaccine Candidates, Administered in a Heterologous Prime-boost Regimen	Total IgG antibody response to the P. vivax Duffy-binding protein (PvDBP)	14 days after the final vaccination. Final vaccinations (MVA PvDBP) occurred at 2 months in Groups 1 and 3; and at 19 months in Group 2.
The Cellular Immunogenicity ChAd63 and MVA PvDBP Vaccine Candidates, Administered in a Heterologous Prime-boost Regimen	PvDBPII-specific CD4+ CD45RA- CCR7- effector memory T cells producing IFN-γ	14 days after the final vaccination. Final vaccinations (MVA PvDBP) occurred at 2 months in Groups 1 and 3 ; and at 19 months in Group 2.
Immunological Readouts for Association With a Reduced Parasite Multiplication Rate	Statistical correlation between anti-PvDBP antibody responses induced by the ChAd63 and MVA PvDBP vaccines and PMR.	3 months post CHMI

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Oxford
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Angela M Minassian, MBBS MA DPhil MRCP FRCPath, University of Oxford

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hou MM, Barrett JR, Themistocleous Y, Rawlinson TA, Diouf A, Martinez FJ, Nielsen CM, Lias AM, King LDW, Edwards NJ, Greenwood NM, Kingham L, Poulton ID, Khozoee B, Goh C, Mac Lochlainn DJ, Salkeld J, Guilotte-Blisnick M, Huon C, Mohring F, Reimer JM, Chauhan VS, Mukherjee P, Biswas S, Taylor IJ, Lawrie AM, Cho JS, Nugent FL, Long CA, Moon RW, Miura K, Silk SE, Chitnis CE, Minassian AM, Draper SJ. Impact of a blood-stage vaccine on Plasmodium vivax malaria. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2022 May 30:2022.05.27.22275375. doi: 10.1101/2022.05.27.22275375.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 18, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 7, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): July 7, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 3, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 3, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): July 5, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 12, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 10, 2023
• Last Verified: September 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: efficacy; PvDBP
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Infections; Vector Borne Diseases; Parasitic Diseases; Protozoan Infections; Mosquito-Borne Diseases; Malaria; Malaria, Vivax
• Other Study ID Numbers: VAC071

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No