Phase 1 Trial of AMA1-C1/Alhydrogel plus CPG 7909: An Asexual Blood-Stage Vaccine for Plasmodium falciparum Malaria
2008

Phase 1 Trial of a Malaria Vaccine

Sample size: 75 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Mullen Gregory E. D., Ellis Ruth D., Miura Kazutoyo, Malkin Elissa, Nolan Caroline, Hay Mhorag, Fay Michael P., Saul Allan, Zhu Daming, Rausch Kelly, Moretz Samuel, Zhou Hong, Long Carole A., Miller Louis H., Treanor John

Primary Institution: Malaria Vaccine Development Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America

Hypothesis

Does the AMA1-C1/Alhydrogel+CPG 7909 malaria vaccine improve safety and immunogenicity in humans?

Conclusion

The AMA1-C1/Alhydrogel+CPG 7909 malaria vaccine is safe and highly immunogenic in malaria-naïve individuals.

Supporting Evidence

  • Local and systemic adverse events were significantly more likely to be of higher severity with the addition of CPG 7909.
  • Anti-AMA1 immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels increased significantly with the vaccine containing CPG 7909.
  • The vaccine elicited up to 96% inhibition of parasite growth in vitro.
  • Safety profile was acceptable given the enhanced immunogenicity.
  • Participants were monitored for adverse events for 180 days post-vaccination.
  • Three cohorts were used to assess different doses of the vaccine.
  • Significant differences in antibody responses were observed between vaccine groups.
  • Further clinical development of the vaccine is ongoing.

Takeaway

This study tested a new malaria vaccine on healthy people and found it to be safe and effective at making their bodies fight malaria.

Methodology

A phase 1 trial with 75 malaria-naive volunteers receiving three vaccinations of different doses of the vaccine.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the single-blind design and the specific demographic of participants.

Limitations

The study was limited to healthy volunteers aged 18-45 and may not represent broader populations.

Participant Demographics

Healthy volunteers aged 18-45, malaria-naive.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI 1.72–122.40

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0002940

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