The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether individuals in DRC previously vaccinated with Zabdeno/Mvabea® or Ervebo® vaccine schedules against Ebola virus can be safely and adequately boosted with homologous or heterologous vaccine schedules. Participants will be randomized to receive either a homologous or heterologous vaccine schedule and will be asked to come to the clinic at prespecified timepoints over a period of 6 months to collect blood samples for comparison of immunological responses against Ebola virus between both schedules. Safety and tolerability of the vaccines will be evaluated by recording Adverse Events (AE's) and grading physical and vital signs evaluations.
The aim of this randomized controlled with four arms is to investigate whether individuals previously vaccinated with Zabdeno/Mvabea® or Ervebo® vaccine schedules against Ebola virus can be safely and adequately boosted with homologous and heterologous vaccine schedules. We hypothesize that heterologous booster vaccine schedules generate a non-inferior boosting in antibodies and cellular responses against Ebola virus as compared to homologous schedules and incite a similar safety profile. Based on the predefined variables (living place and time since vaccination), the research team will pre-select and re-contact individuals previously included in the Phase III EBOVAC vaccine database, EBOSURV participant database, and the Programme Élargi de Vaccination (PEV) database. Participants will be contacted by phone and, if they agree to participate, they are scheduled on predefined screening/recruitment days taken place at the 2 recruitment sites: INRB Goma and INRB Kinshasa. A total of 624 participants will be included, 312 will be previously vaccinated with Zabdeno/Mvabea® and 312 participants with Ervebo®. Within those two groups, half of the participants (n=156) will be randomized to a single Ervebo® booster vaccine and the other half (n=156) to a single Zabdeno® booster vaccine. Participants will be asked to come to the clinic at prespecified timepoints over a period of 6 months to collect blood samples for comparison of antibody- and cellular response against EBOV between homologous and heterologous schedules. Safety and tolerability of the vaccines will be evaluated by recording Adverse Events (AE's) and grading physical and vital signs evaluations. An additional 50 non-vaccinated participants will be recruited in Kinshasa for assay optimization. In case of insufficient participants living close to the recruitment centers, a community outreach will be undertaken with a lower amount of visits for logistical reasons.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
624
A single Zabdeno® booster vaccination
A single Ervebo® booster vaccination
Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB)
Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGInstitut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB)
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
RECRUITINGTo assess non-inferiority in EBOV-specific IgG levels elicited by a heterologous to a homologous booster vaccine schedule, by type of primary vaccination, 21 days after administration of the booster.
FANG ELISA units/mL of anti-EBOV IgG
Time frame: Day 21 after booster vaccination = Day 21
To assess the safety of heterologous and homologous booster vaccine schedules, by type of primary vaccine schedule
* The occurrence of solicited local Adverse Events (AEs) \[Up to Day 7\] * The occurrence of solicited systemic AEs \[Up to Day 7\] * The occurrence of unsolicited AEs \[Up to Day 21\] * The occurrence of Serious Adverse Events (SAE's) \[Up to Month 6\]
Time frame: Day 7, Day 21 and Month 6
To compare the EBOV-specific IgG levels at D21 across all vaccine combinations
\- FANG ELISA units/mL of anti-EBOV IgG at D21 after vaccination
Time frame: Day 21
To compare the fold change between D0 and D21 across all vaccine combinations
\- Fold change in FANG ELISA units/mL of anti-EBOV IgG between D0 and D21
Time frame: Day 0 and Day 21
To compare the EBOV-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies to the glycoproteins of different EBOV variants across all vaccine combinations and timepoints
\- The Mean Fluorescence Intensity (MFI) IgG levels against the GP variants \[multiplexed Luminex assay - at D0, D3, D7, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 3, Day 7, Day 21, Month 6
To compare the EBOV-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies to the glycoproteins of different EBOV variants across all vaccine combinations and timepoints
\- The 50% neutralizing titer (NT50) levels of the GP-specific antibodies \[at D0, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 21, Month 6
To compare the EBOV-specific effector-memory T cell response across all vaccine combinations and timepoints
\- The IFN-y, TNF-α and IL-2 Spot Forming Units (SFU) after T cell stimulation with GP peptide pools \[at D0, D7, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 7, Day 21 and Month 6
To compare the EBOV-specific effector-memory B cell response across all vaccine combinations and timepoints
\- The IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 Spot Forming Units (SFU) after B cell stimulation with recombinant GPs \[at D0, D7, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 7, Day 21 and Month 6
To characterize the phenotype and polyfunctionality of the vaccine-induced T and B cell response by vaccine combination
Proportions of EBOV GP-specific cell phenotypes and polyfunctional cells
Time frame: at Day 0 and Day 21
To assess the impact of the participant age and sex on the vaccine-induced EBOV-specific bAbs
\- FANG ELISA units/mL of anti-EBOV IgG at D21 after vaccination
Time frame: Day 21
To assess the impact of the participant age and sex on the vaccine-induced EBOV-specific bAbs
\- The Mean Fluorescence Intensity (MFI) IgG levels against the GP variants and VP40 \[multiplexed Luminex assay - at D0, D3, D7, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 3, Day 7, Day 21 and Month 6
To assess the impact of the participant age and sex on the vaccine-induced EBOV-specific nAbs
\- The 50% neutralizing titer (NT50) levels of the GP-specific antibodies \[at D0, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 21 and Month 6
To assess the impact of the participant age and sex on the vaccine-induced EBOV-specific T cells
\- The IFN-y, TNF-α and IL-2 Spot Forming Units (SFU) after T cell stimulation with GP peptide pools \[at D0, D7, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 7, Day 21 and Month 6
To assess the impact of the participant age and sex on the vaccine-induced EBOV-specific B cells
\- The IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 Spot Forming Units (SFU) after B cell stimulation with recombinant GPs \[at D0, D7, D21, M6\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 7, Day 21 and Month 6
To assess the impact of the participant age and sex on the vaccine-induced EBOV-specific T cells
\- Proportions of EBOV GP-specific cell phenotypes and polyfunctional cells \[at D0, D21\]
Time frame: Day 0, Day 21
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