Goal of VPM is the development of a recombinant urease C-deficient listeriolysin expressing BCG vaccine strain (VPM1002) as a safe, well tolerated and efficacious vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) for residents in endemic areas and persons at risk in non-endemic areas. The new vaccine should be at least as potent as the current strain and should be safer than BCG (Kaufmann, 2007a; Grode et al., 2005). The vaccine is formulated as live lyophilised bacteria to be re-suspended before intradermal injection. The preceding clinical trial in 80 volunteers in Germany indicated immunogenicity and safety being sufficient for proceeding with the clinical development. Hence, the current study is commenced in South Africa, a country highly endemic for tuberculosis. 24 volunteers were randomly allocated to 4 groups each with 6 adult healthy volunteers.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
24
Farmovs-Parexel
Bloemfontein, South Africa
Safety: physical examination, vital signs, electrocardiogram, liver sonography, laboratory safety parameters, tolerability, recording of concomitant medication and adverse events
Time frame: baseline, days 2, 7, 14, 28, 56, and month 6
Immunogenicity: Interferon-gamma-ELISA (IFN-g-ELISA) in supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) restimulated with tuberculin (PPD from Staten Serum Institute, Denmark)
Time frame: baseline, days 14, 28, 56 and month 6
Immunogenicity: ELISPOT for the number of IFN-g-secreting PBMC after restimulation with PPD
Time frame: baseline, days 14, 28, 56 and month 6
Immunogenicity: Whole Blood Assays (WBA): IFN-g-ELISA of supernatants of whole blood restimulated with PPD
Time frame: baseline, days 14, 28, 56 and month 6
Immunogenicity: Intracellular Cytokine Staining (ICS) for IFN-g, TNF-a and IL-2 in CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes upon stimulation with PPD
Time frame: baseline, days 14, 28, 56 and month 6
Immunogenicity: ICS with other triple combinations of markers in CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes upon stimulation with PPD
Time frame: baseline, days 14, 28, 56 and month 6
Immunogenicity: Antigen-85B (Ag85B) and BCG as recall antigens for ELISA, ELISPOT, WBA and ICS
Time frame: baseline, days 14, 28, 56 and month 6
Immunogenicity: serum antibodies against PPD or Ag85B
Time frame: baseline, days 14, 28, 56 and month 6
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