Study to Evaluate Safety and Immunogenicity of DNA Vaccine N-pVAX1 Against Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF-NP-1)

A Phase I Study to Evaluate Safety and Immunogenicity of DNA Vaccine N-pVAX1 Against Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

This First-in-human dose-escalation vaccine phase I study aims to evaluate safety and reactogenicity of the investigational vaccine N-pVAX1, against Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, delivered by in vivo EP given as three im doses at weeks 0, 4 and 12.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: N-pVAX1

Detailed Description

This First-in-human dose-escalation vaccine phase I study aims to evaluate safety and reactogenicity of the investigational vaccine N-pVAX1, against Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, delivered by in vivo EP given as three im doses at weeks 0, 4 and 12.

The study vaccine dose is planned to be staggered, starting with the low-dose group (0.45 mg), followed by the mid-dose group (0.9 mg), and finally the high-dose group (1.8 mg). In total 15 healthy volunteers at the ages of 18-60 will be enrolled.

Primary objective:

• The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and reactogenicity of the investigational vaccine N-pVAX1 delivered by in vivo EP given as three im doses at weeks 0, 4 and 12.

The secondary objectives:

• To investigate the humoral immune response to the investigational vaccine administered as three doses, by measuring CCHF nucleocapsid antibody levels.

Exploratory objective:

• To investigate in more detail the humoral response and to analyze the cellular immune response to the investigational vaccine.

Trial participants will be followed-up for local and systemic adverse reactions throughout the study period. Blood samples to measure presence of antibody levels to the vaccine components and cellular immunity will be taken at Day 14 and 28 post first and second vaccine dose and at Day 14 and 3 months post last vaccine dose.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 15
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Sweden
  • Stockholm County
    • Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden, 17176
      • Phase I Unit, Karolinska University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Men and women between the ages of 18 and 60 years (at the time of consent).
2. Healthy participant, according to the investigator's clinical judgment, as established by medical history, vital signs, physical examination, and laboratory assessments.

3. No clinically significant laboratory abnormalities as determined by the investigator at screening.

   Note: one retest of lab tests is allowed within the screening window.

4. Negative HIV 1/2 antibody/antigen test, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody at screening.
5. Participant with a body mass index (BMI) 20-30.0 kg/m2.
6. Provide written informed consent before initiation of any study procedures.

7. A female participant is eligible for this study if she is one of the following:

   • of non-childbearing potential (i.e., women who have had a hysterectomy or tubal ligation or are postmenopausal, as defined by no menses in greater than or equal to 1 year)
   • of childbearing potential but agrees to practice highly effective contraception or abstinence (if this is the preferred and usual lifestyle of the participant) from 30 days prior to vaccination up to 3 months after last vaccination.

   Highly effective methods of contraception include one or more of the following:

   1. male partner who is sterile (vasectomised) prior to the female study subject's entry into the study and is the sole sexual partner for the female subject;
   2. hormonal (oral, intravaginal, transdermal, implantable or injectable)
   3. an intrauterine hormone-releasing system (IUS)
   4. an intrauterine device (IUD) with a documented failure rate of < 1%.
8. A female participant is eligible if she is willing to abstain from donating oocyte and a male participant if he is willing to abstain from donating sperm from the screening visit up to 3 months after last vaccination.
9. A male participant who is sexually active is eligible if he is willing to use a condom from the screening visit up to 3 months after last vaccination except if the male participant is sterile (e.g. vasectomised); the unique female sexual partner is postmenopausal, is permanently sterilized (e.g. hysterectomy or tubal ligation), or use a highly effective method of contraception.
10. Able to understand and comply with planned study procedures and willing to be available for all study-required procedures, visits and calls for the duration of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of presence of pulmonary disorders (chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease etc) or asthma (exception of allergic asthma, which is allowed).
2. History or presence of thrombocytopenia and/or bleeding disorders.
3. A positive serum pregnancy test at screening or urine pregnancy test prior to study injection, women who are planning to become pregnant during the study, or women who are breastfeeding.
4. Clinically relevant history of renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, skin, haematological, endocrine, inflammatory, autoimmune, central nervous system or neurological diseases.
5. Use of immunosuppressive drugs as e.g. corticosteroids (excluding topical preparations and inhalers) within 3 months prior to vaccination or 6 months for chemotherapies and all along the study.
6. Vaccination within 2 weeks prior to vaccination or planning to receive a licensed vaccine before month 3 (e.g. inactivated influenza vaccine).
7. History of severe adverse reactions to vaccine administration, including anaphylaxis and related symptoms, such as urticaria, respiratory difficulty, angioedema and abdominal pain to vaccines, or history of known or suspected allergic reaction likely to be exacerbated by any component of the Investigational vaccine.
8. Participation in another investigational clinical study within four weeks before the screening visit or planned before the study completion.
9. Subjects with confirmed or suspected immunodeficiency.
10. Any condition that in the opinion of the principal investigator (PI) would jeopardize the safety or rights of a person participating in the trial or would render the person unable to comply with the protocol.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Vaccine; N-pVAX1 vaccine	Biological: N-pVAX1; Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Vaccine

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Local reactions	Local reactions (pain at the injection site, redness, and swelling) for up to 7 days after each vaccine dose.	For up to 7 days after each vaccine dose
Visual analogue scale (VAS) score	Visual analogue scale (VAS) score to rate the level of pain experienced immediately (0 minutes), and after 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes post-EP.	At vaccination (0 minutes), and after 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes post-EP
Systemic events	Systemic events (fever, fatigue, headache, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, new or worsened muscle pain, and new or worsened joint pain) for 7 days after each vaccine dose.	For 7 days after each vaccine dose
Unsolicited AEs	Unsolicited AEs from the first study dose to 28 days after the last vaccination.	From the first study dose to 28 days after the last vaccination
Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)/suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions (SUSARs)	Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)/suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions (SUSARs) from the first study dose until the study end at 3 months after last vaccination.	From the first study dose until the study end at 3 months after last vaccination

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in antibody levels to the CCHF nucleocapsid protein	Change from baseline sample (a two-fold increase in endpoint titer or a 50% increase in optical density at a 1:62, 1:125, 1:250, 1:500, or 1:1000 serum dilution) in antibody levels to the CCHF nucleocapsid protein by inhouse and/or commercial assays during the study period.	At Baseline, day 14 and 28 post vaccine dose and at 3 months post last vaccine dose

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Exploratory: Description of in depth humoral and cellular immunological responses	Description of in depth humoral and cellular immunological responses after receiving investigational vaccine at each sampling.	At Baseline, day 14 and 28 post vaccine dose and at 3 months post last vaccine dose

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Karolinska Institutet
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Soo Aleman, MD, PhD, Karolinska University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 12, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 17, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): March 17, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 11, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 11, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): November 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 23, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 20, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Phase I; Dose-escalation; N-pVAX1
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Vector Borne Diseases; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Arbovirus Infections; Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral; Tick-Borne Diseases; Bunyaviridae Infections; Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean
• Other Study ID Numbers: CCHF-NP-1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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