Erin Moeller

A 9-valent HPV vaccine against infection and intraepithelial neoplasia in women.

BACKGROUND The investigational 9-valent viruslike particle vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) includes the HPV types in the quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine (6, 11, 16, and 18) and five additional oncogenic types (31, 33, 45, 52, and 58). Here we present the results of a study of the efficacy and immunogenicity of the 9vHPV vaccine in women 16 to 26 years of age. METHODS We performed a randomized, international, double-blind, phase 2b-3 study of the 9vHPV vaccine in 14,215 women. Participants received the 9vHPV vaccine or the qHPV vaccine in a series of three intramuscular injections on day 1 and at months 2 and 6. Serum was collected for analysis of antibody responses. Swabs of labial, vulvar, perineal, perianal, endocervical, and ectocervical tissue were obtained and used for HPV DNA testing, and liquid-based cytologic testing (Papanicolaou testing) was performed regularly. Tissue obtained by means of biopsy or as part of definitive therapy (including a loop electrosurgical excision procedure and conization) was tested for HPV. RESULTS The rate of high-grade cervical, vulvar, or vaginal disease irrespective of HPV type (i.e., disease caused by HPV types included in the 9vHPV vaccine and those not included) in the modified intention-to-treat population (which included participants with and those without prevalent infection or disease) was 14.0 per 1000 person-years in both vaccine groups. The rate of high-grade cervical, vulvar, or vaginal disease related to HPV-31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 in a prespecified per-protocol efficacy population (susceptible population) was 0.1 per 1000 person-years in the 9vHPV group and 1.6 per 1000 person-years in the qHPV group (efficacy of the 9vHPV vaccine, 96.7%; 95% confidence interval, 80.9 to 99.8). Antibody responses to HPV-6, 11, 16, and 18 were noninferior to those generated by the qHPV vaccine. Adverse events related to injection site were more common in the 9vHPV group than in the qHPV group. CONCLUSIONS The 9vHPV vaccine prevented infection and disease related to HPV-31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 in a susceptible population and generated an antibody response to HPV-6, 11, 16, and 18 that was noninferior to that generated by the qHPV vaccine. The 9vHPV vaccine did not prevent infection and disease related to HPV types beyond the nine types covered by the vaccine. (Funded by Merck; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00543543).

Immunogenicity and Safety of a 9-Valent HPV Vaccine

OBJECTIVES: Prophylactic vaccination of youngwomen aged 16 to 26 years with the 9-valent (6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58) human papillomavirus (HPV) virus-like particle (9vHPV) vaccine prevents infection and disease. We conducted a noninferiority immunogenicity study to bridge the findings in young women to girls and boys aged 9 to 15 years. METHODS: Subjects (N = 3066) received a 3-dose regimen of 9vHPV vaccine administered at day 1, month 2, and month 6. Anti-HPV serologic assays were performed at day 1 and month 7. Noninferiority required that the lower bound of 2-sided 95% confidence intervals of geometric mean titer ratios (boys:young women or girls:young women) be >0.67 for each HPV type. Systemic and injection-site adverse experiences (AEs) and serious AEs were monitored. RESULTS: At 4 weeks after dose 3, >99% of girls, boys, and young women seroconverted for each vaccine HPV type. Increases in geometric mean titers to HPV types 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 were elicited in all vaccine groups. Responses in girls and boys were noninferior to those of young women. Persistence of anti-HPV responses was demonstrated through 2.5 years after dose 3. Administration of the 9vHPV vaccine was generally well tolerated. A lower proportion of girls (81.9%) and boys (72.8%) than young women (85.4%) reported injection-site AEs, most of which were mild to moderate in intensity. CONCLUSIONS: These data support bridging the efficacy findings with 9vHPV vaccine in young women 16 to 26 years of age to girls and boys 9 to 15 years of age and implementing gender-neutral HPV vaccination programs in preadolescents and adolescents.

Safety Profile of the 9-Valent HPV Vaccine: A Combined Analysis of 7 Phase III Clinical Trials

OBJECTIVES: The overall safety profile of the 9-valent human papillomavirus (9vHPV) vaccine was evaluated across 7 Phase III studies, conducted in males and females (nonpregnant at entry), 9 to 26 years of age. METHODS: Vaccination was administered as a 3-dose regimen at day 1, and months 2 and 6. More than 15 000 subjects received ≥1 dose of 9vHPV vaccine. In 2 of the studies, >7000 control subjects received ≥1 dose of quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine. Serious and nonserious adverse events (AEs) and new medical conditions were recorded throughout the study. Subjects testing positive for pregnancy at day 1 were not vaccinated; those who became pregnant after day 1 were discontinued from further vaccination until resolution of the pregnancy. Pregnancies detected after study start (n = 2950) were followed to outcome. RESULTS: The most common AEs (≥5%) experienced by 9vHPV vaccine recipients were injection-site AEs (pain, swelling, erythema) and vaccine-related systemic AEs (headache, pyrexia). Injection-site AEs were more common in 9vHPV vaccine than qHPV vaccine recipients; most were mild-to-moderate in intensity. Discontinuations and vaccine-related serious AEs were rare (0.1% and <0.1%, respectively). Seven deaths were reported; none were considered vaccine related. The proportions of pregnancies with adverse outcome were within ranges reported in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: The 9vHPV vaccine was generally well tolerated in subjects aged 9 to 26 years with an AE profile similar to that of the qHPV vaccine; injection-site AEs were more common with 9vHPV vaccine. Its additional coverage and safety profile support widespread 9vHPV vaccination.

Final efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety analyses of a nine-valent human papillomavirus vaccine in women aged 16–26 years: a randomised, double-blind trial

BACKGROUND Primary analyses of a study in young women aged 16-26 years showed efficacy of the nine-valent human papillomavirus (9vHPV; HPV 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) vaccine against infections and disease related to HPV 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, and non-inferior HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 antibody responses when compared with quadrivalent HPV (qHPV; HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18) vaccine. We aimed to report efficacy of the 9vHPV vaccine for up to 6 years following first administration and antibody responses over 5 years. METHODS We undertook this randomised, double-blind, efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety study of the 9vHPV vaccine study at 105 study sites in 18 countries. Women aged 16-26 years old who were healthy, with no history of abnormal cervical cytology, no previous abnormal cervical biopsy results, and no more than four lifetime sexual partners were randomly assigned (1:1) by central randomisation and block sizes of 2 and 2 to receive three intramuscular injections over 6 months of 9vHPV or qHPV (control) vaccine. All participants, study investigators, and study site personnel, laboratory staff, members of the sponsors study team, and members of the adjudication pathology panel were masked to vaccination groups. The primary outcomes were incidence of high-grade cervical disease (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or 3, adenocarcinoma in situ, invasive cervical carcinoma), vulvar disease (vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3, vulvar cancer), and vaginal disease (vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3, vaginal cancer) related to HPV 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 and non-inferiority (excluding a decrease of 1·5 times) of anti-HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 geometric mean titres (GMT). Tissue samples were adjudicated for histopathology diagnosis and tested for HPV DNA. Serum antibody responses were assessed by competitive Luminex immunoassay. The primary evaluation of efficacy was a superiority analysis in the per-protocol efficacy population, supportive efficacy was analysed in the modified intention-to-treat population, and the primary evaluation of immunogenicity was a non-inferiority analysis. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00543543. FINDINGS Between Sept 26, 2007, and Dec 18, 2009, we recruited and randomly assigned 14 215 participants to receive 9vHPV (n=7106) or qHPV (n=7109) vaccine. In the per-protocol population, the incidence of high-grade cervical, vulvar and vaginal disease related to HPV 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 was 0·5 cases per 10 000 person-years in the 9vHPV and 19·0 cases per 10 000 person-years in the qHPV groups, representing 97·4% efficacy (95% CI 85·0-99·9). HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 GMTs were non-inferior in the 9vHPV versus qHPV group from month 1 to 3 years after vaccination. No clinically meaningful differences in serious adverse events were noted between the study groups. 11 participants died during the study follow-up period (six in the 9vHPV vaccine group and five in the qHPV vaccine group); none of the deaths were considered vaccine-related. INTERPRETATION The 9vHPV vaccine prevents infection, cytological abnormalities, high-grade lesions, and cervical procedures related to HPV 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Both the 9vHPV vaccine and qHPV vaccine had a similar immunogenicity profile with respect to HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18. Vaccine efficacy was sustained for up to 6 years. The 9vHPV vaccine could potentially provide broader coverage and prevent 90% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. FUNDING Merck & Co, Inc.

Phase II studies to select the formulation of a multivalent HPV L1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine

Our objective was to develop a multivalent prophylactic HPV vaccine that protects against infection and disease caused by HPV16/18 (oncogenic types in existing prophylactic vaccines) plus additional oncogenic types by conducting 3 Phase II studies comparing the immunogenicity (i.e., anti-HPV6/11/16/18 geometric mean titers [GMT]) and safety of 7 vaccine candidates with the licensed quadrivalent HPV6/11/16/18 vaccine (qHPV vaccine) in young women ages 16–26. In the first study (Study 1), subjects received one of 3 dose formulations of an 8-valent HPV6/11/16/18/31/45/52/58 vaccine or qHPV vaccine (control). In Study 2, subjects received one of 3 dose formulations (termed low-, mid-, and high-dose formulations, respectively) of a 9-valent HPV6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 vaccine (9vHPV vaccine) or qHPV vaccine (control). In Study 3, subjects concomitantly received qHPV vaccine plus 5-valent HPV31/33/45/52/58 or qHPV vaccine plus placebo (control). All vaccines were administered at day 1/month 2/month 6. In studies 1 and 3, anti-HPV6/11/16/18 GMTs at month 7 were non-inferior in the experimental arms compared with the control arm; however, there was a trend for lower antibody responses for all 4 HPV types. In Study 2, this immune interference was overcome with the mid- and high-dose formulations of the 9vHPV vaccine by increasing antigen and adjuvant doses. In all 3 studies, all vaccine candidates were strongly immunogenic with respect to HPV31/33/45/52/58 and were well tolerated. Based on the totality of the results, the middle dose formulation of the 9vHPV vaccine was selected for Phase III evaluation. Each 0.5mL dose contains 30μg/40μg/60μg/40μg/20μg/20μg/20μg/20μg/20μg of HPV6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 virus-like particles, and 500μg of amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate adjuvant.ClinicalTrials.gov numbers NCT00260039, NCT00543543, and NCT00551187.

Design of a large outcome trial for a multivalent human papillomavirus L1 virus-like particle vaccine.

BACKGROUND The 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) (9vHPV) vaccine targets the four HPV types (6/11/16/18) covered by the licensed quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine and five additional types (31/33/45/52/58). A large outcome trial of 9vHPV vaccine was conducted. METHODS An active control (qHPV vaccine) was used because a placebo is not ethically acceptable. Since qHPV vaccine is (and 9vHPV vaccine was anticipated to be) highly efficacious against HPV 6/11/16/18, low incidence of HPV 6/11/16/18-associated disease was expected. Consequently, an efficacy comparison of 9vHPV versus qHPV vaccine for HPV 6/11/16/18 would have been prohibitively large in size. Moreover, no minimum antibody level predicting protection against infection or disease is defined for HPV vaccination. As an alternative approach, the two vaccines were compared using immunogenicity bridging for HPV 6/11/16/18 and clinical efficacy for HPV 31/33/45/52/58. RESULTS The two co-primary objectives were to demonstrate: (1) non-inferior anti-HPV 6/11/16/18 antibody response; and (2) superior efficacy in HPV 31/33/45/52/58-related clinical outcome, for 9vHPV vaccine versus qHPV vaccine. For HPV 6/11/16/18, supportive analyses included a non-inferiority assessment of the percent risk reduction (compared to historical placebo) for 9vHPV versus qHPV vaccine. CONCLUSIONS A Phase III study of 9vHPV vaccine was successfully implemented. Experience from this study design may be applicable when developing a multivalent vaccine covering the same serotypes as an existing vaccine plus additional serotypes and there is no immune correlate of protection. Also, this study established that efficacy of a new HPV vaccine may be demonstrated using immunogenicity endpoints, which may open new options in HPV vaccine development.

Phase III, randomized controlled trial in girls 9-15 years old to evaluate lot consistency of a novel nine-valent human papillomavirus L1 virus-like particle vaccine

A 9-valent human papillomavirus (6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58) VLP (9vHPV) vaccine has recently been proven highly efficacious in preventing disease associated with vaccine HPV types in a pivotal Phase III study. The demonstration of lot-to-lot consistency to confirm the reliability of the manufacturing process is a regulatory requirement for vaccine licensure in the United States. A randomized trial was conducted to demonstrate that three lots of 9vHPV vaccine elicit equivalent antibody response for all 9 vaccine types. The study required thorough planning because it required success on 27 separate statistical comparisons. An innovative statistical approach was used taking into account between-lot variance for more conservative power calculations. The study demonstrated equivalence of three lots of 9vHPV vaccine for all 9 vaccine types.

Impact of baseline covariates on the immunogenicity of the 9-valent HPV vaccine – A combined analysis of five phase III clinical trials

Background The immunogenicity profile of the 9-valent HPV (9vHPV) vaccine was evaluated across five phase III clinical studies conducted in girls and boys 9–15 years of age and young women 16–26 years of age. The effect of baseline characteristics of subjects on vaccine-induced HPV antibody responses was assessed. Methods Immunogenicity data from 11,304 subjects who received ≥1 dose of 9vHPV vaccine in five Phase III studies were analyzed. Vaccine was administered as a 3-dose regimen. HPV antibody titers were assessed 1 month after dose 3 using a competitive Luminex immunoassay and summarized as geometric mean titers (GMTs). Covariates examined were age, gender, race, region of residence, and HPV serostatus and PCR status at day 1. Results GMTs to all 9 vaccine HPV types decreased with age at vaccination initiation, and were otherwise generally similar among the demographic subgroups defined by gender, race and region of residence. For all subgroups defined by race or region of residence, GMTs were higher in girls and boys than in young women. Vaccination of subjects who were seropositive at day 1 to a vaccine HPV type resulted in higher GMTs to that type, compared with those in subjects who were seronegative for that type at day 1. Conclusions 9vHPV vaccine immunogenicity was robust among subjects with differing baseline characteristics. It was generally comparable across subjects of different races and from different regions. Greater immunogenicity in girls and boys versus young women (the population used to establish 9vHPV vaccine efficacy in clinical studies) indicates that the anti-HPV responses generated by the vaccine in adolescents from all races or regions were sufficient to induce high-level protective efficacy. This immunogenicity profile supports a widespread 9vHPV vaccination program and early vaccination.

9-Valent human papillomavirus vaccine: a review of the clinical development program

ABSTRACT Introduction: The 9-valent human papillomavirus (9vHPV) vaccine covers the same HPV types (6/11/16/18) as the quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine and 5 additional cancer-causing types (31/33/45/52/58). Epidemiological studies indicate that the 9vHPV vaccine could prevent approximately 90% of cervical cancers, 70–85% of high-grade cervical dysplasia (precancers), 85–95% of HPV-related vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers, and 90% of genital warts. Areas covered: Study design features and key findings from the 9vHPV vaccine clinical development program are reviewed. In particular, 9vHPV vaccine efficacy was established in a Phase III study in young women age 16–26 years. Efficacy results in young women were extrapolated to pre- and young adolescent girls and boys and young men by immunological bridging (i.e., demonstration of non-inferior immunogenicity in these groups versus young women). Expert commentary: The development of the 9vHPV vaccine is the outcome of 20 years of continuous clinical research. Broad vaccination programs could help substantially decrease the incidence of HPV-related disease.

Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety of a 9-Valent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Subgroup Analysis of Participants From Asian Countries

The 9vHPV vaccine was efficacious, immunogenic, and well-tolerated in Asian participants from 2 international, randomized clinical trials. Data support 9vHPV vaccination programs in Asia.