Oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant with influenza vaccine in young children.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of inactivated influenza vaccines is known to be poor in infants and young children. METHODS: We studied the effect of the adjuvant MF59, an oil-in-water emulsion, on the efficacy of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) in 4707 healthy children 6 to less than 72 months of age who had not previously been vaccinated against influenza. The children were randomly assigned to three study groups, each of which received the assigned vaccines in two doses, 28 days apart, during two consecutive influenza seasons. Two of the groups were given age-appropriate doses of TIV either with or without the MF59 adjuvant, and the third group was given control (noninfluenza) vaccines to assess their absolute and relative efficacy against influenza-like illness, as confirmed by means of polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) assay. RESULTS: Attack rates of influenza-like illness across both influenza seasons were 0.7%, 2.8%, and 4.7% in the adjuvant, nonadjuvant, and control vaccine groups, respectively. The absolute vaccine efficacy rates against all influenza strains (94 of 110 cases were due to vaccine-matched H3N2 viruses) were 86% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74 to 93) for the MF59-adjuvant vaccine (ATIV) and 43% (95% CI, 15 to 61) for the vaccine without the adjuvant (TIV); the relative vaccine efficacy rate for ATIV versus TIV was 75% (95% CI, 55 to 87). The efficacy rates for ATIV were 79% (95% CI, 55 to 90) in children 6 to less than 36 months of age and 92% (95% CI, 77 to 97) in those 36 to less than 72 months of age, as compared with 40% (95% CI, -6 to 66) and 45% (95% CI, 6 to 68), respectively, for TIV. Antibody responses were higher with ATIV and remained so through day 181. The rates of systemic and local reactions to the influenza vaccines with and without the adjuvant were similar in the younger age group (relative risk, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.09), but systemic events in the older age group were more frequent after administration of ATIV (63%) than after administration of TIV (44%) or the control vaccine (50%). Serious adverse events were distributed evenly across the three vaccine groups. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza vaccine with the MF59 adjuvant is efficacious against PCR-confirmed influenza in infants and young children. (Funded by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00644059.).

Immunogenicity and safety of the quadrivalent meningococcal serogroups A, C, W-135 and Y tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-TT) in 2-10-year-old children: results of an open, randomised, controlled study.

UNLABELLED: In Europe, the introduction of monovalent meningococcal serogroup C (MenC) conjugate vaccines has resulted in a significant decline in MenC invasive disease. However, given the potential for strain evolution and increasing travel to areas of high endemicity, protection against additional serogroups is needed. In this study, the immunogenicity, measured by a serum bactericidal activity assay using rabbit complement (rSBA), and the safety of a quadrivalent meningococcal serogroups A, C, W-135 and Y tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (MenACWY-TT) were compared to that of a licensed monovalent MenC conjugate vaccine (MenC-CRM197) in children 2-10 years of age. Children were randomised (3:1) to receive a single dose of either MenACWY-TT or MenC-CRM197. Non-inferiority of the immunogenicity of MenACWY-TT versus MenC-CRM197 in terms of rSBA-MenC vaccine response was demonstrated. Exploratory analyses suggested that rSBA-MenC geometric mean titres adjusted for pre-vaccination titres were lower in children vaccinated with MenACWY-TT compared to MenC-CRM197. Nevertheless, at 1 month post-vaccination, ≥99.3 % of the children who received MenACWY-TT had rSBA titres ≥1:128 for each of the four vaccine serogroups, which is the more conservative correlate of protection. The reactogenicity and safety profile of MenACWY-TT was clinically acceptable and no serious adverse events considered related to vaccination were reported throughout the study. CONCLUSION: When administered to European school-age children, MenACWY-TT has a clinically acceptable safety profile and, when compared with MenC-CRM197, the potential to broaden protection against meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, W-135 and Y while maintaining protection against MenC. This study has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT00674583.

Antibody persistence for 3 years following two doses of tetravalent measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine in healthy children.

UNLABELLED: Two doses of a varicella-containing vaccine in healthy children <12 years are suggested to induce better protection than a single dose. Persistence of immunity against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella as well as varicella breakthrough cases were assessed 3 years after two-dose measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccination or concomitant MMR (Priorix™) and varicella (Varilrix™) vaccination. Four hundred ninety-four healthy children, 12-18 months old at the time of the first dose, received either two doses of MMRV vaccine (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) 42-56 days apart (MMRV, N = 371) or one dose of MMR and varicella vaccines administered simultaneously at separate sites, followed by another MMR vaccination 42-56 days later (MMR + V, N = 123). Three hundred-four subjects participated in 3-year follow-up for persistence of immunity and occurrence of breakthrough varicella (MMRV, N = 225; MMR + V, N = 79). Antibodies were measured by ELISA (measles, mumps, rubella) and immunofluorescence (varicella). Contacts with individuals with varicella or zoster and cases of breakthrough varicella disease were recorded. Three years post-vaccination seropositivity rates in subjects seronegative before vaccination were: MMRV-measles, 98.5% (geometric mean titer [GMT] = 3,599.6); mumps, 97.4% (GMT = 1,754.5); rubella, 100% (GMT = 51.9); varicella, 99.4% (GMT = 225.5); MMR + V-measles, 97.0% (GMT = 1,818.8); mumps, 93.8% (GMT = 1,454.6); rubella, 100% (GMT = 53.8); and varicella, 96.8% (GMT = 105.8). Of the subjects, 15-20% reported contact with individuals with varicella/zoster each year. After 3 years, the cumulative varicella breakthrough disease rate was 0.7% (two cases) in the MMRV group and 5.4% (five cases) in the MMR + V group. CONCLUSION: Immunogenicity of the combined MMRV vaccine was sustained 3 years post-vaccination. (208136/041/NCT00406211).

"Let the Algorithm Do the Work": Reduction of Hypoglycemia Using Sensor-Augmented Pump Therapy with Predictive Insulin Suspension (SmartGuard) in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Patients.

BACKGROUND: A sensor-augmented insulin pump (SAP) using the MiniMed® 640G system with SmartGuard™ technology allows an automatic stop of insulin delivery based on prediction of low glucose levels. Since pediatric patients are particularly prone to hypoglycemia, this device may offer additional protection beyond conventional sensor-augmented therapy. METHODS: This prospective, pediatric multicenter user evaluation assessed 6 weeks of SAP with SmartGuard (threshold setting for hypoglycemia: 70 mg/dL) compared to a preceding period of 2 weeks with SAP only. The primary outcome was the potential reduction in the frequency of hypoglycemic episodes and hypoglycemic intensity (area under the curve [AUC] and time <70 mg/dL). RESULTS: The study included 24 patients with at least 3 months of insulin pump use (average age: 11.6 ± 5.1 years, 15 female, average type 1 diabetes duration: 7.5 ± 4.2 years, mean ± SD) who had on average 3.2 ± 1.0 predictive suspensions/patient/day. The mean sensor glucose minimum during suspension was 78 ± 6 mg/dL and the average suspension time was 155 ± 47 min/day. Use of SmartGuard in patients treated as per the protocol (n = 18) reduced the number of instances in which the glucose level was <70 mg/dL (1.02 ± 0.52 to 0.72 ± 0.36; P = 0.027), as well as AUC <70 mg/dL (0.76 ± 0.73 to 0.38 ± 0.24; P = 0.027) and the time/day the level fell below 70 mg/dL (73 ± 56 to 31 ± 22 min). The reduction of hypoglycemia was not associated with a significant change in mean glucose concentration (171 ± 26 to 180 ± 19 mg/dL, P = 0.111) and HbA1c (7.5% ± 0.5% to 7.6% ± 0.7%, (P = 0.329). Manual resumption of insulin delivery followed by carbohydrate intake resulted in significantly higher glucose levels 1 h after suspension compared to SmartGuard suspensions with automatic resume (190.8 ± 26.5 vs. 138.7 ± 10.3 mg/dL; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SmartGuard technology significantly reduced the risk for hypoglycemia in pediatric type 1 diabetes patients without increasing HbA1c. Patients must be educated that when using combining predictive low-glucose insulin suspension technology, extra carbohydrate intake in response to an alarm combined with manual resumption is likely to cause rebound hyperglycemia. The best results were achieved when the user did not interfere with pump operation.

Safety and immunogenicity of an MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine in children from three to seventeen years of age.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to identify the optimal dose of an MF59-adjuvanted, monovalent, A/H1N1 influenza vaccine in healthy paediatric subjects. METHODS: Subjects aged 3-8 years (n=194) and 9-17 years (n=160) were randomized to receive two primary doses of A/H1N1 vaccine containing either 3.75 µg antigen with half a standard dose of MF59 adjuvant, 7.5 µg antigen with a full dose of MF59, or (children 3-8 years only), a non-adjuvanted 15 µg formulation. A booster dose of MF59-adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine including homologous A/H1N1 strain was given one year after priming. Immunogenicity was assessed by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and microneutralization assays. Vaccine safety was assessed throughout the study (up to 18 months). RESULTS: A single priming dose of either MF59-adjuvanted formulation was sufficient to meet the European licensure criteria for pandemic influenza vaccines (HI titres ≥1:40>70%; seroconversion>40%; and GMR>2.5). Two non-adjuvanted vaccine doses were required to meet the same licensure criteria. After first and second doses, percentage of subjects with HI titres ≥1:40 were between 97% and 100% in the adjuvanted vaccine groups compared with 68% and 91% in the non-adjuvanted group, respectively. Postvaccination seroconversion rates ranged from 91% to 98% in adjuvanted groups and were 68% (first dose) and 98% (second dose) in the non-adjuvanted group. HI titres ≥1:330 after primary doses were achieved in 69% to 90% in adjuvanted groups compared with 41% in the non-adjuvanted group. Long-term antibody persistence after priming and a robust antibody response to booster immunization were observed in all vaccination groups. All A/H1N1 vaccine formulations were generally well tolerated. No vaccine-related serious adverse events occurred, and no subjects were withdrawn from the study due to an adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: An MF59-adjuvanted influenza vaccine containing 3.75 µg of A/H1N1 antigen was well tolerated and sufficiently immunogenic to meet all the European licensure criteria after a single dose in healthy children 3-17 years old.

Immunogenicity and tolerability of an MF59-adjuvanted, egg-derived, A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine in children 6-35 months of age.

BACKGROUND: Vaccines against pandemic A/H1N1 influenza should provide protective immunity in children, because they are at greater risk of disease than adults. This study was conducted to identify the optimal dose of an MF59®-adjuvanted, egg-derived, A/H1N1 influenza vaccine for young children. METHODS: Children 6-11 months (N = 144) and 12-35 months (N = 186) of age received vaccine formulations containing either 3.75 µg antigen with half the standard dose of MF59 or 7.5 µg antigen with a standard dose of MF59, or a nonadjuvanted formulation containing 15 µg antigen (children 12-35 months only). Participants were given 2 primary vaccine doses 3 weeks apart, followed by 1 booster dose of MF59-adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine 1 year later. Immunogenicity was assessed by hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization assays. RESULTS: All vaccine formulations were highly immunogenic and met all 3 European licensure criteria after 2 doses. MF59-adjuvanted vaccines met all licensure criteria after 1 dose in both age cohorts, while nonadjuvanted vaccine did not meet all criteria after 1 dose in children 12-35 months. A single booster dose was highly immunogenic, and stable antibody persistence was observed in response to all vaccines. All vaccines were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a single dose of 3.75 µg antigen with half the standard dose of MF59 was shown to be optimal, providing adequate levels of immediate and long-term antibodies in pediatric subjects 6-35 months of age. These data demonstrated that MF59 adjuvant allowed for reduced antigen content and promoted significant long-term antibody persistence in children, with a satisfactory safety profile.