The purpose of this study is to generate an exploratory training set of data and to identify predictive biomarkers (a measurable biological response that predicts something) of innate and adaptive responses to immunisation of two vaccines utilizing different adjuvant technology given according to approved schedules to healthy adult volunteers. The vaccines are model agents selected as they match antigens but have discordant adjuvants, have a known immunogenicity profile, assays are freely available to measure responses, and they are safe to administer to healthy adults at the doses and schedules proposed. This study will strive to correlate biomarker activity with observed immunological responses to vaccination and if successful, these biomarkers could be used in early stage clinical trials to optimize selection of vaccine candidates with a profile that will be most likely to be effective once they are in generalized use.~In this study, 15 subjects per vaccine will be recruited to receive immunization with one of two hepatitis B vaccines, Engerix B or Fendrix, representing exactly matched antigens (hepatitis B surface antigen) but discordant adjuvant technologies. Following a screening visit, subjects will be randomly allocated to receive three doses of a vaccine at 0, 1 and 2 months. Innate immune responses (cytokine levels and whole blood gene expression) after doses #1 and #3 and adaptive immune responses (serum antibody and antigen specific cellular responses) will be measured at various timepoints after immunisation on an outpatient basis.~The study is funded by ADITEC, which is a collaborative research programme that aims to accelerate the development of novel and powerful immunisation technologies for the next generation of human vaccines.
The purpose of this study is to generate an exploratory training set of data and to identify predictive biomarkers (a measurable biological response that predicts something) of innate and adaptive responses to immunisation of two vaccines utilizing different adjuvant technology given according to approved schedules to healthy adult volunteers. The vaccines are model agents selected as they match antigens but have discordant adjuvants, have a known immunogenicity profile, assays are freely available to measure responses, and they are safe to administer to healthy adults at the doses and schedules proposed. This study will strive to correlate biomarker activity with observed immunological responses to vaccination and if successful, these biomarkers could be used in early stage clinical trials to optimize selection of vaccine candidates with a profile that will be most likely to be effective once they are in generalized use.