Disparate kinetics in immune response of two different Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines: Immunogenicity and safety observations from a randomized controlled phase IV study in healthy infants and toddlers using a 2+1 schedule

Since the introduction of Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccines, invasive Hib disease has strongly declined worldwide, yet continued control of Hib disease remains important. In Europe, currently three different hexavalent combination vaccines containing Hib conjugates are marketed. In this phase IV, single-blind, randomized, controlled, multi-country study (NCT04535037), we aimed to compare, in a 2 + 1 vaccination schedule, the immunogenicity and safety and show non-inferiority, as well as superiority, of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib (Ih group) versus DTaP5-HB-IPV-Hib (Va group) in terms of anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) antibody geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) and proportion of participants reaching anti-PRP antibody concentrations greater than or equal to a threshold of 5 µg/mL. One month after the booster vaccination, the anti-PRP antibody GMC ratio (Ih group/Va group) was 0.917 (95% CI: 0.710-1.185), meeting the non-inferiority criteria. The difference in percentage of participants (Ih group - Va group) reaching GMCs ≥5 µg/mL was -6.3% (95% CI: -14.1% to 1.5%), not reaching the predefined non-inferiority threshold. Interestingly, a slightly higher post-booster antibody avidity was observed in the Ih group versus the Va group. Both vaccines were well tolerated, and no safety concerns were raised. This study illustrates the different kinetics of the anti-PRP antibody response post-primary and post-booster using the two vaccines containing different Hib conjugates and indicates a potential differential impact of concomitant vaccinations on the anti-PRP responses. The clinical implications of these differences should be further studied.

Immunogenicity and safety of reduced-antigen tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccination in adults treated for obstructive airway diseases

Patients with obstructive airway diseases (OAD), like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, may be at increased risk of pertussis infection. Pertussis may also trigger COPD and asthma exacerbations. Vaccination against pertussis could help protect OAD patients from the additional burden of pertussis, but there may be hesitancy related to vaccine safety and immunogenicity in such patients. We performed a meta-analysis on 5 clinical trials in adults receiving reduced-antigen tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap, Boostrix, GSK), from which we selected participants on active OAD treatment. We compared immunogenicity and reactogenicity outcomes of the meta-analysis with data from the overall populations of Tdap-vaccinated adults from 6 Tdap trials (including the 5 in the meta-analysis). The meta-analysis comprised 222 adults on active standard OAD treatment. One month post-Tdap, 89.0% and 97.2% of these adults, respectively, achieved seroprotective anti-diphtheria and anti-tetanus antibody concentrations; 78.3%-96.1% showed booster responses across the 3 pertussis antigens. These rates were consistent with those in the comparator population. The most frequently reported solicited local and systemic adverse events within 4 days post-Tdap were injection site pain (47.7%) and fatigue (19.3%), with low rates of grade 3 intensity (0.9% and 2.8%). This was consistent with Tdap reactogenicity in the comparator population. Evaluation of unsolicited and serious adverse events within 1 month post-Tdap did not identify safety concerns. In conclusion, Tdap was immunogenic and well tolerated in adults under active standard OAD treatment, with immunogenicity and safety profiles consistent with those in a comparator population representing the general adult population.

Effectiveness of maternal immunisation with a three-component acellular pertussis vaccine at preventing pertussis in infants in the United States: Post-hoc analysis of a case-control study using Bayesian dynamic borrowing

BACKGROUND

Immunisation during pregnancy with a tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine can protect infants against pertussis between birth and paediatric vaccination. We aimed to estimate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of third-trimester pregnancy immunisation with the three-component acellular pertussis (Td3ap) vaccine at preventing pertussis in infants <2 months in the United States (US), to support a label update.

METHODS

We performed a post-hoc sub-analysis of a case-control study conducted in six US Emerging Infections Program Network states between 2011 and 2014. Our analysis included only cases and controls whose mothers were either vaccinated with Td3ap or did not receive any Tdap vaccine. The association between Td3ap maternal immunisation and pertussis in infants was assessed for US data using a frequentist method with conditional logistic regression. A robustified analysis was conducted using Bayesian dynamic borrowing of non-US data, considering a mixing-weighted prior of 90% for historical non-US VE data, and of 10% for a vague prior. VE was estimated as (1-odds ratio) × 100%. Sensitivity analyses accounting for the impact of each non-US study, different mixing weights and missing/ambiguous data were performed.

RESULTS

We included 108 cases and 183 controls. Based on US data, the estimated VE of third-trimester maternal immunisation with Td3ap at preventing pertussis in infants <2 months was 78.0% (95% confidence interval: -38.0; 96.5). VE estimated by Bayesian dynamic borrowing of non-US data (with a 90% weight for historical data) was 83.4% (95% credible interval: 55.7; 92.5); sensitivity analyses produced similar VE estimates.

CONCLUSIONS

Effectiveness of third-trimester pregnancy immunisation with Td3ap at preventing infant pertussis in the US is very likely to be ≥ 50% and is most likely ∼ 80%. Bayesian dynamic borrowing of non-US VE data allowed overcoming the limited power (due to small sample size) of a brand-specific sub-analysis by considering additional evidence.

Investigating Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis Vaccination During Pregnancy and Risk of Congenital Anomalies

INTRODUCTION

This observational retrospective matched cohort study evaluated the safety of a prenatal tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination, Boostrix. We previously reported on the risk of maternal and neonatal outcomes; here we report on the risk of congenital anomalies in infants at birth through 6 months of age.

METHODS

The study included pregnant Kaiser Permanente Southern California members. Women who received the Tdap vaccine on or after the 27th week of pregnancy between January 2018 and January 2019 were matched to women who were pregnant between January 2012 and December 2014 and were not vaccinated with Tdap during pregnancy. Unadjusted and adjusted relative risks (aRRs) with 95% confidence intervals were estimated by Poisson regression. Quantitative secular trend analyses, from 2011 to 2017, were conducted on congenital anomalies with a statistically significant aRR > 1.

RESULTS

The analysis consisted of 16,350 and 16,088 live-born infants in the Tdap-exposed and unexposed cohorts, respectively. Of the 14 congenital anomaly body systems evaluated, 8 (eye, ear/face/neck, respiratory, upper gastrointestinal, genital, renal, musculoskeletal, integument) had statistically significant elevated aRRs, with point estimates ranging from 1.17 to 2.02. The observed elevated aRRs were consistent with their respective secular increases over time.

CONCLUSION

Cautious interpretation of these findings is warranted as these increases may have resulted from improved identification and diagnosis. Furthermore, the biological plausibility of an association between maternal vaccine exposure in the third trimester of pregnancy and birth defects is low. The overall study findings support the safety of maternal immunization with Boostrix during the third trimester of pregnancy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT03463577.

Harmonizing the collection of solicited adverse events in prophylactic vaccine clinical trials

INTRODUCTION

During the clinical development of a vaccine, study participants are monitored for the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) over a defined period post-vaccination to assess the safety of prophylactic vaccines. Among the safety data collected, a standard practice in prophylactic vaccine clinical trials involves collecting reactogenicity data through daily AE solicitation of pre-defined sets of symptoms (i.e. solicited AEs).

AREAS COVERED

This paper aims to propose recommendations to improve and harmonize the collection of active AE solicitation in prophylactic vaccine clinical trials.

EXPERT OPINION

We recommend using limited lists of solicited AEs adapted to the vaccine technology and target population. While the US Food and Drug Administration toxicity grading scale is commonly used in adolescents/adults, harmonizing grading criteria in infants/children would facilitate the comparison of vaccines' safety profiles. Solicited systemic AEs should not systematically be considered causally related to vaccination. Collection of solicited AEs should occur in cohorts of a maximum of 1,000 vaccinated participants, as larger cohort sizes do not improve substantially the precision of AE incidence. The incidence of daily solicited AEs should be compared with a control group for improved interpretations of their clinical relevance. These suggestions would improve the characterization of safety profiles of vaccines.

Safety of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination during pregnancy

The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of prenatal tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination. This cohort study was conducted among pregnant members at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC). The exposed cohort consisted of women who received Tdap vaccine on or after the 27th week of pregnancy between January 2018 and January 2019. The unexposed cohort consisted of matched women who were pregnant between January 2012 and December 2014 and were not vaccinated with any Tdap vaccine throughout their pregnancy. Maternal and infant characteristics and pre-specified endpoints were collected through automated data and review of the electronic health records. Unadjusted and adjusted relative risks (aRRs) with confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by Poisson regression. Non-inferiority testing (i.e., to rule out a two-fold increase) was conducted for primary endpoints with adjustment for multiplicity. Superiority testing was conducted without multiplicity adjustment for secondary endpoints. The analysis consisted of 16,606 pairs of Tdap recipients and unexposed pregnant women. For the primary endpoints, the aRR for preeclampsia/eclampsia was 1.38 (98.75% CI:1.21-1.58) and the aRR for intrauterine infection was 1.28 (98.75% CI:1.12-1.47). These increases were consistent with the background increasing trend of these diagnoses among all pregnant women at KPSC since 2011, and the upper limit of the 98.75% CI of both aRRs did not exceed the pre-specified threshold of 2. No increased risks of small for gestational age (aRR = 1.04, 98.75% CI:0.94-1.16) or preterm delivery (aRR = 0.71, 98.75% CI:0.64-0.78) were observed. No evidence of increased risks for secondary endpoints, including poor fetal growth, preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes, stillbirth/fetal death, placental abruption, transfusion during delivery hospitalization, and neonatal death, was observed. Prenatal Tdap vaccination after the 27th week of pregnancy was not associated with increased risks of pre-specified maternal and infant outcomes, supporting the safety of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy.

No consistent evidence of decreased exposure to varicella-zoster virus among older adults in countries with universal varicella vaccination

Background

Universal varicella vaccination might reduce opportunities for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) exposure and protective immunological boosting, thus increasing herpes zoster incidence in latently infected adults. We assessed humoral and cell-mediated immunity (CMI), as markers of VZV exposure, in adults aged ≥50 years.

Methods

We repurposed data from placebo recipients in a large multinational clinical trial (ZOE-50). Countries were clustered based on their varicella vaccination program characteristics, as having high, moderate, or low VZV circulation. Anti-VZV antibody geometric mean concentrations, median frequencies of VZV-specific CD4 T cells, and percentages of individuals with increases in VZV-specific CD4 T-cell frequencies were compared across countries and clusters. Sensitivity analyses using a variable number of time points and different thresholds were performed for CMI data.

Results

VZV-specific humoral immunity from 17 countries (12 high, 2 moderate, 3 low circulation) varied significantly between countries (P < .0001) but not by VZV circulation. No significant differences were identified in VZV-specific CMI between participants from 2 high versus 1 low circulation country. In 3/5 sensitivity analyses, increases in CMI were more frequent in high VZV circulation countries (.03 ≤ P < .05).

Conclusions

We found no consistent evidence of reduced VZV exposure among older adults in countries with universal varicella vaccination.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT01165177.

Effectiveness of various human papillomavirus vaccination strategies: A community randomized trial in Finland

INTRODUCTION

We conducted a community-randomized trial (NCTBLINDED) in Finland to assess gender-neutral and girls-only vaccination strategies with the AS04-adjuvanted human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 (AS04-HPV-16/18)vaccine.

METHODS

Girls and boys (12-15 years) were invited. We randomized 33 communities (1:1:1 ratio): Arm A: 90% of randomly selected girls and boys received AS04-HPV-16/18 vaccine and 10% received hepatitis B vaccine (HBV); Arm B: 90% of randomly selected girls received AS04-HPV-16/18 vaccine, 10% of girls received HBV, and all boys received HBV; Arm C: all participants received HBV. Effectiveness measurements against prevalence of HPV-16/18 cervical infection were estimated in girls at 18.5 years. The main measures were: (1) overall effectiveness comparing Arms A or B, regardless of vaccination status, vs Arm C; (2) total effectiveness comparing AS04-HPV-16/18 vaccinated girls in pooled Arms A/B vs Arm C; (3) indirect effectiveness (herd effect) comparing girls receiving HBV or unvaccinated in Arm A vs Arm C. Co-primary objectives were overall effectiveness following gender-neutral or girls-only vaccination.

RESULTS

Of 80,272 adolescents invited, 34,412 were enrolled. Overall effectiveness was 23.8% (95% confidence interval: -19.0, 51.1; P = 0.232) with gender-neutral vaccination. Following girls-only vaccination, overall effectiveness was 49.6% (20.1, 68.2; P = 0.004). Total effectiveness was over 90% regardless of vaccination strategy. No herd effect was found. Immunogenicity of the AS04-HPV-16/18 vaccine was high in both sexes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study illustrates the difficulty in conducting community randomized trials. It is not plausible that vaccinating boys would reduce overall effectiveness, and the apparent lack of herd effect was unexpected given findings from other studies. This analysis was likely confounded by several factors but confirms the vaccine's high total effectiveness as in clinical trials.

A phase III randomized, open-label, non-inferiority clinical trial comparing liquid and lyophilized formulations of oral live attenuated human rotavirus vaccine (HRV) in Indian infants

The human rotavirus vaccine (HRV; Rotarix, GSK) is available as liquid (Liq) and lyophilized (Lyo) formulations, but only Lyo HRV is licensed in India. In this phase III, randomized, open-label trial (NCT02141204), healthy Indian infants aged 6–10 weeks received 2 doses (1 month apart) of either Liq HRV or Lyo HRV. Non-inferiority of Liq HRV compared to Lyo HRV was assessed in terms of geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of anti-RV immunoglobulin A (IgA), 1-month post-second dose (primary objective). Reactogenicity/safety were also evaluated. Seroconversion was defined as anti-RV IgA antibody concentration ≥20 units [U]/mL in initially seronegative infants (anti-RV IgA antibody concentration <20 U/mL) or ≥2-fold increase compared with pre-vaccination concentration in initially seropositive infants. Of the 451 enrolled infants, 381 (189 in Liq HRV and 192 in Lyo HRV group) were included in the per-protocol set. The GMC ratio (Liq HRV/Lyo HRV) was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65–1.34), with the lower limit of the 95% CI reaching ≥0.5, the pre-specified statistical margin for non-inferiority. In the Liq HRV and Lyo HRV groups, 42.9% and 44.3% (baseline) and 71.4% and 73.4% (1-month post-second dose) of infants had anti-RV IgA antibody concentration ≥20 U/mL, and overall seroconversion rates were 54.5% and 50.0%. Incidences of solicited and unsolicited adverse events were similar between groups and no vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported. Liq HRV was non-inferior to Lyo HRV in terms of antibody GMCs and showed similar reactogenicity/safety profiles, supporting the use of Liq HRV in Indian infants.

What is the context?

Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute gastronenteritis and contributes to the high number of hospitalizations and deaths in young children worldwide.

Vaccination against rotavirus has led to a significant decrease in rotavirus-related infections.

The human rotavirus vaccine Rotarix (GSK) is currently used as a liquid or lyophilized formulation.

In clinical trials conducted in European and North American infants, the liquid vaccine showed ability to induce immune response and safety comparable to the lyophilized formulation.

Only the lyophilized vaccine is currently marketed in india.

What is new?

We compared the 2-dose liquid and lyophilized human rotavirus vaccines in indian infants in a phase III clinical trial:

The ability to induce immune response for thw liquid formulation was not inferior to that observed for the lyophilized vaccine.

The safety profiles of the 2 formulations were comparable.

Why is this important?

This study shows that the liquid human rotavirus vaccine can be administrated to infants from india.

Ten-Year Antibody Persistence and Booster Response to MenACWY-TT Vaccine After Primary Vaccination at 1-10 Years of Age

This phase 3B, open-label, extension study (NCT01962207) evaluated long-term persistence of antibodies induced by the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine conjugated to tetanus toxoid (MenACWY-TT) compared with the meningococcal serogroup C vaccine conjugated to CRM (MenC-CRM) and the quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MenACWY-PS) 6 to 10 y after primary vaccination in toddlers (aged 1–<2 y; MenACWY-TT and MenC-CRM) and children (aged 2–<11 y; MenACWY-TT and MenACWY-PS). Antibody responses against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, and Y were assessed by serum bactericidal antibody assays using rabbit (rSBA) or human (hSBA) complement. A MenACWY-TT booster dose at Year 10 was given to all eligible subjects regardless of the primary vaccine received. At Year 10, the percentages of subjects with rSBA titers ≥1:8 for serogroups A, C, W, and Y were as follows: MenACWY-TT (toddlers), 65.6%, 82.8%, 31.3%, 43.8%, respectively; MenC-CRM, 88.2% for serogroup C; MenACWY-TT (children), 88.9%, 84.1%, 67.1%, 65.9%; and MenACWY-PS, 28.6%, 81.0%, 23.8%, and 23.8%. Corresponding percentages for hSBA titers ≥1:4 were as follows: MenACWY-TT (toddlers), 31.1%, 91.9%, 44.4%, 41.4%; MenC-CRM, 93.8% for serogroup C; MenACWY-TT (children), 34.8%, 91.1%, 61.2%, 72.6%; and MenACWY-PS, 33.3%, 100.0%, 26.3%, and 44.4%. One month after the MenACWY-TT booster, the percentage of subjects with vaccine response ranged from 75.7% to 100.0% across serogroups in all study groups. Postbooster vaccine responses were generally comparable between groups across serogroups. No new safety signals were identified. Antibody responses persisted 10 y after MenACWY-TT vaccination. The MenACWY-TT booster dose was well tolerated and elicited robust immune responses.

Effectiveness of "Priorix" Against Measles and Mumps Diseases in Children Born After 2004 in the United Kingdom: A Retrospective Case-control Study Using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD Database

BACKGROUND

Evidence on vaccine effectiveness (VE) may encourage vaccination and help fight the reemergence of measles and mumps in Europe. However, limited data exist on real-life effectiveness of individual measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines. This study evaluated VE of GSK's MMR vaccine ("Priorix") against measles and mumps.

METHODS

This retrospective, case-control study used UK data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD linked to the Hospital Episode Statistics database to identify children 1-13 years old diagnosed with measles or mumps from January 2006 to December 2018. Cases were matched to controls according to birth month/year and practice region. Cases were identified using clinical codes (without laboratory confirmation). "Priorix" exposure was identified using vaccine batch identifiers. Children exposed to other MMR vaccines were excluded. Adjusted VE was estimated for ≥1 vaccine dose in all children, and for 1 dose and ≥2 doses in children ≥4 years at diagnosis.

RESULTS

Overall, 299 measles cases matched with 1196 controls (87.6% <4 years old), and 243 mumps cases matched with 970 controls (74.2% <4 years old) were considered. VE for ≥1 dose in all children was 78.0% (97.5% confidence interval: 67.2%-85.3%) for measles and 66.7% (48.1%-78.6%) for mumps. In children ≥4 years old, VE after 1 dose was 74.6% (-21.7% to 94.7%) for measles and 82.3% (32.7%-95.3%) for mumps, and VE after ≥2 doses was 94.4% (79.7%-98.5%) for measles and 86.5% (64.0%-94.9%) for mumps.

CONCLUSIONS

"Priorix" is effective in preventing measles and mumps in real-life settings.

Seroprevalence of Bordetella pertussis Infection in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in England: Analysis of the AERIS Cohort

Pertussis is underdiagnosed and underreported in adults and patients with underlying conditions. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be at increased risk of severe pertussis. Understanding the true prevalence of pertussis infections in such patients is important. We therefore evaluated the seroprevalence of anti-pertussis toxin (PT) antibodies in a cohort of 40-85-year-old patients diagnosed with moderate, severe or very severe COPD enrolled (between June 2011 and June 2012) in the prospective, observational "Acute Exacerbation and Respiratory InfectionS in COPD" (AERIS; NCT01360398) study, conducted in England. Serum anti-PT antibodies were measured in 104 patients using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on samples collected 12 months (M12) and 24 months (M24) after enrollment. Overall, 14/104 (13.5%) patients had anti-PT concentrations ≥50 IU/mL at M12 or M24, indicative of exposure to Bordetella pertussis during the preceding 2-3 years. Of these, 6/104 (5.8%) had anti-PT ≥70 IU/mL, of whom 3/104 (2.9%) had anti-PT ≥120 IU/mL, indicative of exposure within 12 and 6 months, respectively. These results show a high circulation of B. pertussis in 40-85-year-old patients with moderate, severe or very severe COPD in England between 2012 and 2014, and call for enhanced immunization to prevent pertussis infections in such patients.

A prospective, multicentre, cohort study to assess the incidence of dengue illness in households from selected communities in Brazil (2014-2018)

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the incidence of dengue infection across geographically distinct areas of Brazil.

METHODS

This prospective, household-based, cohort study enrolled participants in five areas and followed them up for up to 4 years (2014-2018). Dengue seroprevalence was assessed at each scheduled visit. Suspected dengue cases were identified through enhanced passive and active surveillance. Acute symptomatic dengue infection was confirmed through reverse-transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction in combination with an antigenic assay (non-structural protein 1) and serology.

RESULTS

Among 3300 participants enrolled, baseline seroprevalence was 76.2%, although only 23.3% of participants reported a history of dengue. Of 1284 suspected symptomatic dengue cases detected, 50 (3.9%) were laboratory-confirmed. Based on 8166.5 person-years (PY) of follow-up, the incidence of laboratory-confirmed symptomatic infection (primary endpoint) was 6.1 per 1000 PY (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.5, 8.1). Incidence varied substantially in different years (1.8-7.4 per 1000 PY). The incidence of inapparent primary dengue infection was substantially higher: 41.7 per 1000 PY (95% CI: 31.1, 54.6).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings, highlighting that the incidence of dengue infection is underestimated in Brazil, will inform the design and implementation of future dengue vaccine trials.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT01751139.

Association between rotavirus gastroenteritis and intussusception: suggested evidence from a retrospective study in claims databases in the United States

The etiology of intussusception (IS), a serious gastrointestinal obstruction, remains unclear. Limited evidence suggests a role for viral infection. We investigated the risk of IS after rotavirus gastroenteritis (RV GE) in the first year of life. In this retrospective, self-controlled case series (SCCS), we assessed the risk of IS after RV GE using data from United States administrative claims databases. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of IS were calculated for the 7- and 21-day risk periods after RV GE (main analysis) or after fracture (sensitivity analysis). A total of 290,912,068 subjects were screened; 42 presented claims for RV GE and IS, and 66 for fracture and IS. The IRRs of IS after RV GE were 79.6 (95% confidence interval, CI: 38.6-164.4) and 25.5 (95% CI: 13.2-49.2) in the 7- and 21-day risk periods. The sensitivity analysis showed an association between IS and fracture for both periods, suggesting potential confounding. Post-hoc analyses did not confirm the association between fracture and IS but suggested a potential association between RV GE and IS. A temporal association between RV GE and IS was detected using claims databases. Due to some limitations of the data sources, this association should be further investigated.

A phase 2b/3b MenACWY-TT study of long-term antibody persistence after primary vaccination and immunogenicity and safety of a booster dose in individuals aged 11 through 55 years

BACKGROUND

A previous phase 2 study demonstrated the immunogenicity of a single dose of meningococcal A, C, W, Y-tetanus toxoid conjugate (MenACWY-TT) or polysaccharide (MenACWY-PS) vaccine for up to 5 years in individuals aged 11-55 years. This follow-up study evaluated long-term antibody persistence up to 10 years and the immunogenicity and safety of a single MenACWY-TT booster dose given 10 years after primary vaccination.

METHODS

Blood draws were conducted annually in Years 7-10. At Year 10, all subjects received a MenACWY-TT booster dose. Blood was drawn at 1 month and safety data were collected ≤6 months postbooster. Study endpoints included immunogenicity during the persistence phase (primary), and immunogenicity and safety during the booster phase (secondary). Statistical analyses were descriptive.

RESULTS

A total of 311 subjects were enrolled in the persistence phase (MenACWY-TT, 235; MenACWY-PS, 76); 220 were enrolled in the booster phase (MenACWY-TT, 164; MenACWY-PS, 56). Descriptive analyses indicated that at Years 7-10, the percentages of subjects achieving serum bactericidal antibody assay using baby rabbit complement (rSBA) titers ≥1:8 and ≥1:128 were higher for serogroups A, W, and Y in the MenACWY-TT versus MenACWY-PS group; percentages were similar across groups for serogroup C. rSBA geometric mean titers (GMTs) for serogroups A, W, and Y were higher in the MenACWY-TT group and slightly higher in the MenACWY-PS group for serogroup C. One month postbooster, all primary MenACWY-TT and ≥98.1% of primary MenACWY-PS recipients had rSBA titers ≥1:8. For all serogroups, rSBA GMTs postbooster were higher in the MenACWY-TT versus MenACWY-PS group. Most local and general reactogenicity events were similar between groups and mild to moderate in severity. Adverse events at 1 month postbooster were 9.1% for the MenACWY-TT and 3.6% for the MenACWY-PS groups; all were nonserious.

CONCLUSIONS

Immune responses to a single MenACWY-TT primary dose administered at age 11-55 years persisted in >70% of individuals evaluated at Years 7-10. A MenACWY-TT booster dose administered at Year 10 was safe and immunogenic with no new safety signals observed. These results provide important insights regarding long-term protection from primary vaccination and the benefits of booster dosing.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01934140. Registered September 2013.

Impact of tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis immunization during pregnancy on subsequent infant immunization seroresponses: follow-up from a large randomized placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Pertussis immunization during pregnancy results in high pertussis antibody concentrations in young infants but may interfere with infant immune responses to post-natal immunization.

METHODS

This phase IV, multi-country, open-label study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of infant primary vaccination with DTaP-HepB-IPV/Hib and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Enrolled infants (6-14 weeks old) were born to mothers who were randomized to receive reduced-antigen-content diphtheria-tetanus-three-component acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap group) or placebo (control group) during pregnancy (27^0/7-36^6/7 weeks' gestation) with crossover immunization postpartum. All infants received 2 or 3 DTaP-HepB-IPV/Hib and PCV13 doses according to national schedules. Immunogenicity was assessed in infants pre- and 1 month post-primary vaccination. The primary objective was to assess seroprotection/vaccine response rates for DTaP-HepB-IPV/Hib antigens 1 month post-primary vaccination.

RESULTS

601 infants (Tdap group: 296; control group: 305) were vaccinated. One month post-priming, seroprotection rates were 100% (diphtheria; tetanus), ≥98.5% (hepatitis B), ≥95.9% (polio) and ≥94.5% (Hib) in both groups. Vaccine response rates for pertussis antigens were significantly lower in infants whose mothers received pregnancy Tdap (37.5-77.1%) versus placebo (90.0-99.2%). Solicited and unsolicited adverse event rates were similar between groups. Serious adverse events occurred in 2.4% (Tdap group) and 5.6% (control group) of infants, none were vaccination-related.

CONCLUSIONS

Pertussis antibodies transferred during pregnancy may decrease the risk of pertussis infection in the first months of life but interfere with the infant's ability to produce pertussis antibodies, the clinical significance of which remains unknown. Safety and reactogenicity results were consistent with previous experience.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02422264.

Immunogenicity and safety following primary and booster vaccination with a hexavalent diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, inactivated poliovirus and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine: a randomized trial in the United States

Combined hexavalent diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B-inactivated poliomyelitis and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib) can further reduce the number of injections in pediatric immunization schedules of countries currently using pentavalent DTaP combination vaccines. This open-label, randomized, multicenter study (NCT02096263) conducted in the United States evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine compared with concomitant administration of DTaP-HBV-IPV and Hib_A or DTaP-IPV/Hib and HBV vaccines. We randomized (1:1:1) infants to receive 3-dose priming with DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib boosted with DTaP+ Hib_B, DTaP-HBV-IPV+ Hib_A boosted with DTaP+ Hib_A, or DTaP-IPV/Hib+ HBV boosted with DTaP-IPV/Hib, at 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months of age. We enrolled and vaccinated 585 participants, 486 received a booster, and 476 completed the study. Of these, 466 participants were included in the primary and 408 in the booster according-to-protocol cohorts for immunogenicity. We demonstrated non-inferiority of DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine to DTaP-HBV-IPV+ Hib_A co-administered vaccines in terms of geometric mean concentrations for pertussis antibodies post-primary vaccination. Post-primary vaccination, seroprotection/seropositivity rates for all vaccine antigens were similarly high between DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib (≥ 94.8%), DTaP-HBV-IPV+ Hib_A (≥ 98.1%) or DTaP-IPV/Hib+ HBV (≥ 97.8%) groups. We observed robust immune responses post-booster, indicating effective priming by the 3 regimens. Reactogenicity was similar in the 3 groups. Twenty-eight serious adverse events were reported during the study; 3 were considered related to vaccination and resolved by the end of the study. These results confirm that DTaP-HBV-IPV/Hib could be a valuable additional source of pediatric DTaP, IPV, HBV, and Hib-containing vaccine in countries that currently use multivalent vaccines.

Immunogenicity and safety of the Haemophilus influenzae type b and Neisseria meningitidis serogroups C and Y-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine co-administered with human rotavirus, hepatitis A and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: results from a phase III, randomized, multicenter study in infants

This phase III, open-label, randomized study (NCT01978093) evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of co-administered Haemophilus influenzae type b–Neisseria meningitidis serogroups C and Y–tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (Hib-MenCY-TT) with human rotavirus vaccine (HRV), hepatitis A vaccine (HAV) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). We randomized 600 infants (1:1) to receive 4 doses of Hib-MenCY-TT at 2, 4, 6 and 12–15 months of age or 3 doses of Hib vaccine conjugated to N. meningitidis outer membrane protein complex (Hib-OMP) at 2, 4 and 12–15 months of age. All infants received HRV at 2 and 4 months of age, PCV13 at 2, 4, 6 and 12–15 months of age, HAV at 12–15 and 18–21 months of age, and diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B-inactivated poliovirus vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. We measured immune responses against HRV, HAV and Hib with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and against MenC/MenY with serum bactericidal assays using human complement. The 4-dose vaccination series with Hib-MenCY-TT induced a robust immune response against Hib, which was non-inferior to that induced by a 3-dose vaccination series with Hib-OMP, and against MenC and MenY. Hib-MenCY-TT did not interfere with immune responses to concomitantly administered HRV, PCV13 and HAV. We did not identify any safety concern. In conclusion, we showed that 4-dose vaccination series with Hib-MenCY-TT during infancy did not interfere with immune responses of co-administered HRV, PCV13 and HAV, induced robust immune responses against Hib, MenC and MenY, and had a clinically acceptable safety profile.

Immunogenicity and safety of primary and booster vaccination with 2 investigational formulations of diphtheria, tetanus and Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens in a hexavalent DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib combination vaccine in comparison with the licensed Infanrix hexa

Safety and immunogenicity of 2 investigational formulations of diphtheria, tetanus and Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens of the combined diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B-inactivated poliomyelitis-Hib vaccine (DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib) were evaluated in a Primary (NCT01248884) and a Booster vaccination (NCT01453998) study.

In the Primary study, 721 healthy infants (randomized 1:1:1) received 3 doses of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib formulation A (D_AT_APa-HBV-IPV/Hib), or B (D_BT_BPa-HBV-IPV/Hib) or the licensed DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine (Infanrix hexa, GSK; control group) at 2, 3, 4 months of age. Infants were planned to receive a booster dose at 12–15 months of age with the same formulation received in the Primary study; however, following high incidence of fever associated with the investigational formulations in the Primary study, the Booster study protocol was amended and all infants yet to receive a booster dose (N = 385) received the licensed vaccine.

In the Primary study, non-inferiority of 3-dose vaccination with investigational formulations compared with the licensed vaccine was not demonstrated due to anti-pertactin failing to meet the non-inferiority criterion. Post-primary vaccination, most infants had seroprotective levels of anti-diphtheria (100% of infants), anti-tetanus antigens (100%), against hepatitis B (≥ 97.5% across groups), polyribosyl-ribitol-phosphate (≥ 88.0%) and poliovirus types 1–3 (≥ 90.5%). Seropositivity rates for each pertussis antigen were 100% in all groups.

Higher incidence of fever (> 38°C) was reported in infants receiving the investigational formulations (Primary study: 75.0% [A] and 72.1% [B] vs 58.8% [control]; Booster study, before amendment: 49.4% and 46.6% vs 37.4%, respectively).

The development of the investigational formulations was not further pursued.

Characterization of an age-response relationship to GSK's recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in healthy adults: An integrated analysis

The immune system becomes less effective with age, and older age is associated with an increased susceptibility to diseases and reduced responses to vaccination. Furthermore, some adult populations, such as those with diabetes mellitus, are at increased risk of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Decreasing responses to vaccination with advanced age have been described, but it is not known at what age immunogenicity starts to reduce, or until what age immunogenicity remains acceptable (for example ≥80 % seroprotection post-vaccination). We characterized the relationship between age and seroprotection rate induced by recombinant HBV vaccination by conducting a pooled analysis of clinical trial data. Healthy adults aged ≥20 y who had been vaccinated with 20μg HBV vaccine (Engerix™ B, GSK Vaccines, Belgium) in a 0, 1, 6 months schedule in 11 studies since 1996 were included. The observed seroprotection rate, defined as an anti-HBV surface antigen antibody concentration ≥10 mIU/ml was 94.5% in the whole population (N = 2,620, Total vaccinated cohort), ranging from 98.6% in adults vaccinated at age 20–24 years, to 64.8% in those vaccinated at age ≥65 y A model on seroprotection rates showed a statistically significant decrease with age, and predicted that the anti-HBs seroprotection rate remains ≥90% up to 49 y of age and ≥80% up to 60 y of age. Individuals at risk of HBV infection should be vaccinated as early in life as possible to improve the likelihood of achieving seroprotection. Additional studies are needed to identify whether unvaccinated individuals older than 60 y would benefit from regimens that include additional or higher vaccine doses.

Association of serum anti-rotavirus immunoglobulin A antibody seropositivity and protection against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis: analysis of clinical trials of human rotavirus vaccine

Clinical trials of the human rotavirus vaccine Rotarix™ (RV1) have demonstrated significant reductions in severe rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in children worldwide. However, no correlate of vaccine efficacy (VE) has yet been established. This paper presents 2 analyses which aimed to investigate whether serum anti-RV IgA measured by ELISA 1 or 2 mo post-vaccination can serve as a correlate of efficacy against RVGE: (1) In a large Phase III efficacy trial (Rota-037), the Prentice criteria for surrogate endpoints was applied to anti-RV IgA seropositivity 1 mo post-vaccination. These criteria determine whether a significant vaccine group effect can be predicted from the surrogate, namely seropositivity (anti-RV IgA concentration >20 U/mL); (2) Among other GSK-sponsored RV1 VE studies, 8 studies which assessed immunogenicity at 1 or 2 mo post-vaccination in all or a sub-cohort of enrolled subjects and had at least 10 RVGE episodes were included in a meta-analysis to measure the regression between clinical VE and VE predicted from immunogenicity (VE1). In Rota-037, anti-RV IgA seropositivity post-vaccination was associated with a lower incidence of any or severe RVGE, however, the proportion of vaccine group effect explained by seropositivity was only 43.6% and 32.7% respectively. This low proportion was due to the vaccine group effect observed in seronegative subjects. In the meta-analysis, the slope of the regression between clinical VE and VE1 was statistically significant. These two independent analyses support the hypothesis that post-vaccination anti-RV IgA seropositivity (antibody concentration ≥20 U/mL) may serve as a useful correlate of efficacy in clinical trials of RV1 vaccines.

Meta-analysis of pregnancy outcomes in pooled randomized trials on a prophylactic adjuvanted glycoprotein D subunit herpes simplex virus vaccine

The primary objective of this investigation was to assess whether the AS04-adjuvanted herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein D candidate prophylactic vaccine against genital herpes disease increases the risk of spontaneous abortion associated with pregnancy conceived within the vaccination exposure window (vaccine dose received within the period starting 60 days before and ending 20 weeks post-conception day). We performed a meta-analysis of studies designed as part of the clinical development program for this vaccine, to examine the relative risk of abortion (spontaneous or elective) associated with unintended vaccination exposure during pregnancy. Nineteen studies, completed before September 2010, were eligible; 5 matched the inclusion criteria for this analysis (presence of a control arm and at least one adverse pregnancy outcome reported). All vaccinated women (N=19,727) were included, of whom 660 reported a pregnancy during the study period. Overall, 13.3% of pregnancies in the HSV vaccine group and 11.0% in the control group resulted in spontaneous abortion; 24.2% and 20.0% resulted in elective abortion. Among 180 women with a first pregnancy conceived in the vaccination exposure window, 16.7% (HSV vaccine) and 9.5% (control) had a spontaneous abortion and 38.5% and 33.3%, elective abortion. The relative risk for spontaneous abortion associated with vaccine exposure during the risk period for abortion in the course of pregnancy was 1.7 (95% CI: 0.7-4.6). For all women receiving HSV vaccine, this relative risk was 1.3 (95% CI: 0.8-2.1). The corresponding relative risks for elective abortion were 1.2 (95% CI: 0.7-2.0) and 1.3 (95% CI: 0.9-1.8). There was no apparent relationship to dosing and no difference between groups in gestational age at the time of spontaneous or elective abortion. In conclusion there is no statistical evidence that the investigational HSV vaccine increased the risk of spontaneous or elective abortion.

Immunogenicity and safety of a combination diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, and inactivated poliovirus vaccine coadministered with a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and a Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, and inactivated poliovirus-containing vaccine (DTaP-HepB-IPV) coadministered with pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib), with separate vaccines concurrently, or staggered (delayed) administration of PCV-7.

STUDY DESIGN

At 2, 4, and 6 months of age, infants received either DTaP-HepB-IPV plus PCV-7 and Hib (n = 199), separate vaccines (n = 188), or DTaP-HepB-IPV plus Hib with PCV-7 administered 2 weeks later (n = 188). Blood was drawn before and after vaccination. Parents reported symptoms for 4 days after each dose and adverse events throughout the entire study.

RESULTS

Immunogenicity in the Combination Vaccine Group was noninferior to that of the Separate and Staggered Vaccine Groups with respect to seroprotective rates for diphtheria, tetanus, and poliovirus and to geometric mean concentrations for pertussis. Seroprotective rates for HepB and Hib were not different between groups. Seropositivity for PCV-7 was high in all groups. Administration of combination vaccine appeared to be associated with higher rates of irritability, fever > or = 100.4 degrees F (38.0 degrees C) and some local symptoms compared with separate vaccines (exploratory P < .05). No group differences were observed in rates of symptoms for which parents sought medical advice.

CONCLUSIONS

DTaP-HepB-IPV was highly immunogenic and well tolerated when coadministered with Hib and PCV-7 at 2, 4, and 6 months of age.

Safety of a combination diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, and inactivated polio vaccine coadministered with a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and a Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine

The safety of DTaP-HepB-IPV vaccine coadministered with PCV and Hib was compared with separate administration of DTaP, HepB, IPV, Hib, and PCV at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. Healthy 2-month-old infants (N=1008) were randomized to the two groups. Following dose 1, there was no significant difference between the groups in the incidence of fever >101.3 degrees F. After each dose, the incidence of any fever (> or =100.4 degrees F) was significantly higher in the Combination Vaccine Group. The rate of fever >103.1 degrees F was < or =1.4% in both groups after any of the doses. Medical advice visits for fever were infrequent in both groups (< or =1.2%). DTaP-HepB-IPV was safe and well tolerated when coadministered with PCV and Hib.

Safety and efficacy of an attenuated vaccine against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis

BACKGROUND

The safety and efficacy of an attenuated G1P[8] human rotavirus (HRV) vaccine were tested in a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial.

METHODS

We studied 63,225 healthy infants from 11 Latin American countries and Finland who received two oral doses of either the HRV vaccine (31,673 infants) or placebo (31,552 infants) at approximately two months and four months of age. Severe gastroenteritis episodes were identified by active surveillance. The severity of disease was graded with the use of the 20-point Vesikari scale. Vaccine efficacy was evaluated in a subgroup of 20,169 infants (10,159 vaccinees and 10,010 placebo recipients).

RESULTS

The efficacy of the vaccine against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis and against rotavirus-associated hospitalization was 85 percent (P<0.001 for the comparison with placebo) and reached 100 percent against more severe rotavirus gastroenteritis. Hospitalization for diarrhea of any cause was reduced by 42 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 29 to 53 percent; P<0.001). During the 31-day window after each dose, six vaccine recipients and seven placebo recipients had definite intussusception (difference in risk, -0.32 per 10,000 infants; 95 percent confidence interval, -2.91 to 2.18; P=0.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Two oral doses of the live attenuated G1P[8] HRV vaccine were highly efficacious in protecting infants against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis, significantly reduced the rate of severe gastroenteritis from any cause, and were not associated with an increased risk of intussusception. (ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00139347 and NCT00263666.)

Anti-diphtheria antibody seroprotection rates are similar 10 years after vaccination with dTpa or DTPa using a mathematical model

The reduced antigen content diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (dTpa) vaccine (Boostrixtrade mark) has been shown to induce a strong booster response to all the vaccine components in 4-6 year olds. However, anti-diphtheria antibody levels were observed to be lower when compared to the "full strength" paediatric DTPa vaccine. To assess the impact of this difference on long-term protection, a mathematical model was developed to predict diphtheria antibody decay over time. The model was based on a linear decrease in log-transformed antibody concentrations after the first year post-vaccination. When applied to data collected 3.5 years after vaccination of 4-6 year olds with either DTPa or dTpa, the model predicted that 10 years post-vaccination, 98.6% of subjects vaccinated with dTpa were likely to remain seroprotected against diphtheria, compared to 99.6% vaccinated with DTPa. Therefore, the difference observed in diphtheria antibody geometric mean concentrations 1 month after booster vaccination at 4-6 years with dTpa or DTPa is unlikely to be of clinical relevance 10 years later at the time of the adolescent booster.

Statistical approaches to establishing vaccine safety

In a vaccine safety trial, the primary interest is to demonstrate that the vaccine is sufficiently safe, rejecting the null hypothesis that the relative risk of an adverse event attributable to the new vaccine is above a prespecified value, greater than one. We evaluate the exact probability of type I error of the likelihood score test, with sample size determined by normal approximation, by enumeration of the binomial outcomes in the rejection region and show that it exceeds the nominal level. In the case of rare adverse events, we recommend the Poisson approximation as an alternative and develop the corresponding conditional and unconditional tests. We give sample size and power calculations for these tests. We also propose optimal randomization strategies which either (i) minimize the total number of adverse cases or (ii) minimize the expected number of subjects when the vaccine is unsafe. We illustrate the proposed methods using a hypothetical vaccine safety study.

Carbamazepine-nefazodone interaction in healthy subjects

The pharmacokinetic interaction between nefazodone and carbamazepine was investigated in 12 healthy male volunteers. Subjects received nefazodone 200 mg twice daily for 5 days, and blood sample collection was performed on day 5 for 0- to 48-hour pharmacokinetic analysis. A 4-day wash-out phase then followed from days 6 to 9. Carbamazepine 200 mg was administered once daily from days 10 to 12, and then 200 mg was given twice daily from days 13 to 44. A 0- to 48-hour pharmacokinetic analysis was performed on day 38. Nefazodone 200 mg twice daily was added to the dosing regimen from days 40 to 44, and a subsequent 0- to 48-hour pharmacokinetic analysis was performed on day 44. Coadministration of nefazodone increased steady-state plasma area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of carbamazepine from 60.77 (+/-8.44) to 74.98 (+/-12.88) microg x hr/mL (p < 0.001) and decreased the active carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide metabolite AUC concentration from 7.10 (+/-1.16) to 5.71 (+/-0.52) microg x hr/mL (p < 0.005). During the combination, the steady-state AUC of nefazodone decreased from 7,326 (+/-3,768) to 542 (+/-191) ng x hr/mL, and the AUCs of its metabolites (hydroxynefazodone, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine, and triazoledione) decreased significantly as well (p < 0.001). Coadministration of nefazodone 200 mg twice daily and carbamazepine 200 mg twice daily was found to be safe and well tolerated; however, the increased plasma exposure to carbamazepine may warrant monitoring of plasma carbamazepine concentrations with the combination. However, higher doses (>400 mg/day) of carbamazepine could yield more extensive induction, affecting tolerability of the combination. No change in the initial nefazodone dose is necessary, and subsequent dose adjustments should be made on the basis of clinical effects; however, the repercussion of carbamazepine induction of nefazodone metabolism on the antidepressant efficacy has yet to be studied.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of co-administration of nefazodone and lithium in healthy subjects

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the possible pharmacokinetic interaction between nefazodone and lithium.

METHODS

Twelve healthy volunteers received nefazodone 200 mg b.i.d. for 5 days. A 4-day washout phase followed from day 6 to day 9. From day 10 to day 20, escalating doses of lithium 250 mg b.i.d. to 500 mg b.i.d. were given; the daily dose of 1000 mg was obtained on day 13. From day 16 to day 20, nefazodone 200 mg b.i.d. was added to the lithium dosing regimen. Venous blood sampling was performed on days 5, 15 and 20 for 0- to 48-h-pharmacokinetic analysis. Nefazodone and its metabolites, hydroxynefazodone, mCPP and triazoledione were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Lithium was assayed by flame photometry.

RESULTS

Co-administration of nefazodone did not modify pharmacokinetic parameters of lithium at steady-state. Comparison of the area under the plasma or serum concentration-versus-time curve calculated from 0-12 h (AUC0-12) of nefazodone and hydroxynefazodone revealed no significant differences when nefazodone was administered alone or with lithium. The mean maximum peak plasma concentration Cmax and AUC0-12 of meta-chlorophenyl-piperazine (mCPP) were significantly reduced by 27% (P < 0.001) and 16% (P < 0.001) with the co-administration. The mean Cmax and AUC0-12 of triazoledione were reduced by 23% (P < 0.005) and 16% (P < 0.01) by the co-administration.

CONCLUSION

Since there were no clinically significant changes in the pharmacokinetics of the parent compounds or metabolites, and the combination was well tolerated, no dosage adjustments of nefazodone or lithium are necessary when they are co-administered.

Efficacy and safety of d-sotalol, a pure class III antiarrhythmic compound, in patients with symptomatic complex ventricular ectopy. Results of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-finding study. The d-Sotalol PVC Study Group

BACKGROUND

There is increasing interest in pure class III antiarrhythmic compounds, ie, drugs in which the electrophysiological effect is confined to the propensity for producing an isolated lengthening of action potential duration. d-Sotalol represents the prototype of such pure class III agents. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized dose-finding study evaluated the antiarrhythmic efficacy and safety of d-sotalol in patients with symptomatic chronic ventricular ectopy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 233 patients presenting with > or = 30 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) per hour during drug-free Holter monitoring randomly received placebo or d-sotalol at dosages of 50, 100, or 200 mg BID. Drug efficacy was assessed by repeat Holter monitoring at the end of double-blind therapy. There was a dose-dependent increase in QT and QTc duration, indicating class III activity. A dose-related decrease in hourly PVC counts was observed, reaching statistical significance for patients receiving 200 mg d-sotalol BID (311 PVCs/h during baseline compared with 135 PVCs/h during active treatment, P < .05). Analysis of the primary efficacy criterion (ie, > or = 75% reduction in total PVCs/h) revealed a significant treatment effect only for the highest d-sotalol dose, with 8 patients (14%) meeting this criterion. Eighteen patients reported side effects, which led to drug discontinuation in 5. One sudden death and one nonfatal cardiac arrest occurred in patients with dilative cardiomyopathy receiving 200 mg d-sotalol BID. No incidence of torsade de pointes was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

d-Sotalol exerts dose-dependent class III activity in patients with symptomatic ventricular ectopy. Its PVC-suppressing activity is modest and becomes evident predominantly at dosages of 200 mg administered BID. The observation of drug-associated serious adverse arrhythmic events emphasizes the need for individualized careful dose titration, particularly in patients with advanced organic heart disease.

Adjuvant chemotherapy of recurrent superficial transitional cell carcinoma: results of a European organization for research on treatment of cancer randomized trial comparing intravesical instillation of thiotepa, doxorubicin and cisplatin. The European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer Genitourinary Group

A total of 356 patients with recurrent superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder was entered in a randomized clinical trial to compare intravesical thiotepa, doxorubicin and cisplatin with respect to the recurrence rate and disease-free interval. After complete transurethral resection of all visible lesions, the drugs were administered weekly for 4 weeks and monthly for 11 months. The recurrence rates per year were 0.50 for thiotepa, 0.54 for doxorubicin and 0.58 for cisplatin. Of 266 patients (mean followup 41 months) 35 reported an increase in T category and 19 of them had distant metastases. No association between treatment and progression was noted. Thus, there is no difference among treatments with respect to efficacy. However, severe anaphylactic reactions were observed in the cisplatin arm and chemical cystitis was more frequently reported in patients who received doxorubicin.

Hexamethylmelamine and low or moderate dose cisplatin with or without pyridoxine for treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma: a study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group

A total of 248 analyzable patients with Stages III-IV ovarian epithelial cancer (114 with and 134 without prior chemotherapy) were randomized to one of four cisplatin (DDP)-hexamethylmelamine (HMM) regimens. In each, HMM, 200 mg/m2 was given orally daily on days 8-21 of each 21-day cycle. DDP was given i.v. on Day 1 at a dose of 37.5 mg/m2 (regimens A and B) or 75 mg/m2 (regimens C and D). In addition, since pyridoxine administration has been reported to reduce the neurotoxicity of HMM, that agent was given at a dose of 300 mg/m2 orally on Days 1-21 in regimens B and D. Randomization was stratified for performance status (0-1, 2-3) and largest tumor diameter at entry (greater than 2- less than or equal to 10 cm, greater than 10 cm) for previously untreated patients, and for performance status and time from initial diagnosis to entry on study (less than or equal to 1 year, greater than 1 year) for previously treated patients. The overall response rate (PR + CR) was 54%, with 25% of patients achieving a complete response. The 61% response rate with the higher dose DDP regimens was significantly greater than the 47% response rate with the lower dose regimens (p = 0.031). Multivariate analysis identified higher DDP dose, age less than 60 years, no prior chemotherapy, small tumor bulk and favorable tumor grade as significant prognosticators for response. The overall median response duration was 8.3 months (range 1-70 months). Prior chemotherapy, pyridoxine administration, recent diagnosis, and large tumor size were identified by multivariate analysis as factors adversely affecting response duration. Patients treated with the higher dose DDP regimens had more severe nausea, vomiting, and neurotoxicity. This study demonstrates that the combination of DDP + HMM is an effective regimen for advanced ovarian carcinoma that yields response rates comparable to other more complex regimens, and that there is a dose-response relationship for DDP in ovarian cancer. Although pyridoxine administration significantly reduced neurotoxicity, its adverse effect on response duration suggests that the agent should not be administered with DDP or HMM. The mechanism by which pyridoxine may unfavorably affect response duration deserves further investigation.

Pentostatin induces durable remissions in hairy cell leukemia

Fifty patients with hairy cell leukemia were treated with pentostatin (2'-deoxycoformycin; dCF) for a median of 3 months; 32 (64%) patients achieved complete remission (CR), and 10 (20%) patients achieved partial remission (PR), for an overall response rate of 84%. After reaching maximal response, no maintenance therapy was administered. The median duration of follow-up is now 39 months, and only four of 32 patients in CR and two of 10 patients in PR have relapsed. dCF therapy produces durable long-term, disease-free survival in patients with hairy cell leukemia.

Adjusting for age-related competing mortality in long-term cancer clinical trials

Mortality related to causes other than the treated disease may have a significant impact on overall survival in long-term clinical trials. We present a model that adjusts for age-related competing mortality when cause of death is missing or only partially available. Through use of a piecewise exponential survival model, we extend relative survival methods to continuous follow-up data, allowing the competing mortality to differ from that of the general population by a scale parameter. An EM algorithm provides a simple way to compute the maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) and to test hypotheses using widely available software. We compare the bias and relative efficiency of this model to a piecewise exponential Cox model for overall survival. Theoretical results are confirmed by simulations and illustrated with data from a clinical trial in colorectal cancer. This example also shows how age-related and disease-related mortality can be confounded in an analysis of overall survival. We conclude with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the model.

Phase II trial of carboplatin in soft-tissue sarcoma

As part of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group program for the assessment of new drugs in sarcomas, a Phase II trial of carboplatin was performed in patients who had received no more than one prior chemotherapy regimen. A total of 50 patients received either 400 mg/m2 or 320 mg/m2 depending on whether they had received prior radiotherapy. A response rate of 16% (95% confidence interval 6-32%) occurred in the 37 patients who had received doxorubicin as their only prior systemic therapy. Three of the six responses were complete and persisted for 7 to 34 months. In contrast none of the 13 patients who received carboplatin after initial progression on doxorubicin and subsequent progression on interferon alpha responded. The overall response rate was therefore 12% (95% confidence interval 5-24%). Toxicity was primarily hematologic, with 14 patients having Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grade 3 toxicity and no grade 4 or 5 toxicities. In view of the number of complete responses, carboplatin should be studied further in untreated patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma.