1
|
Tebas P, Yang S, Boyer JD, Reuschel EL, Patel A, Christensen-Quick A, Andrade VM, Morrow MP, Kraynyak K, Agnes J, Purwar M, Sylvester A, Pawlicki J, Gillespie E, Maricic I, Zaidi FI, Kim KY, Dia Y, Frase D, Pezzoli P, Schultheis K, Smith TR, Ramos SJ, McMullan T, Buttigieg K, Carroll MW, Ervin J, Diehl MC, Blackwood E, Mammen MP, Lee J, Dallas MJ, Brown AS, Shea JE, Kim J, Weiner DB, Broderick KE, Humeau LM. Safety and immunogenicity of INO-4800 DNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2: A preliminary report of an open-label, Phase 1 clinical trial. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 31:100689. [PMID: 33392485 PMCID: PMC7759123 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is of high urgency. Here the safety and immunogenicity induced by a DNA vaccine (INO-4800) targeting the full length spike antigen of SARS-CoV-2 are described. METHODS INO-4800 was evaluated in two groups of 20 participants, receiving either 1.0 mg or 2.0 mg of vaccine intradermally followed by CELLECTRA® EP at 0 and 4 weeks. Thirty-nine subjects completed both doses; one subject in the 2.0 mg group discontinued trial participation prior to receiving the second dose. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04336410. FINDINGS The median age was 34.5, 55% (22/40) were men and 82.5% (33/40) white. Through week 8, only 6 related Grade 1 adverse events in 5 subjects were observed. None of these increased in frequency with the second administration. No serious adverse events were reported. All 38 subjects evaluable for immunogenicity had cellular and/or humoral immune responses following the second dose of INO-4800. By week 6, 95% (36/38) of the participants seroconverted based on their responses by generating binding (ELISA) and/or neutralizing antibodies (PRNT IC50), with responder geometric mean binding antibody titers of 655.5 [95% CI (255.6, 1681.0)] and 994.2 [95% CI (395.3, 2500.3)] in the 1.0 mg and 2.0 mg groups, respectively. For neutralizing antibody, 78% (14/18) and 84% (16/19) generated a response with corresponding geometric mean titers of 102.3 [95% CI (37.4, 280.3)] and 63.5 [95% CI (39.6, 101.8)], in the respective groups. By week 8, 74% (14/19) and 100% (19/19) of subjects generated T cell responses by IFN-ɣ ELISpot assay with the median SFU per 106 PBMC of 46 [95% CI (21.1, 142.2)] and 71 [95% CI (32.2, 194.4)] in the 1.0 mg and 2.0 mg groups, respectively. Flow cytometry demonstrated a T cell response, dominated by CD8+ T cells co-producing IFN-ɣ and TNF-α, without increase in IL-4. INTERPRETATION INO-4800 demonstrated excellent safety and tolerability and was immunogenic in 100% (38/38) of the vaccinated subjects by eliciting either or both humoral or cellular immune responses. FUNDING Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Tebas
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - ShuPing Yang
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
| | - Jean D. Boyer
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
| | - Emma L. Reuschel
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ami Patel
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Joseph Agnes
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
| | - Mansi Purwar
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Jan Pawlicki
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
| | | | - Igor Maricic
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
| | - Faraz I. Zaidi
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kevin Y. Kim
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yaya Dia
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Drew Frase
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - John Ervin
- Alliance for Multispecialty Research, Kansas City, MO 64114-4866
| | | | | | | | - Jessica Lee
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
| | | | | | | | - J.Joseph Kim
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
| | - David B. Weiner
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Laurent M. Humeau
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, USA
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|