2134. A Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of a Booster Dose of a Group B Streptococcus 6-Valent Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine (GBS6)
Authors: Jongihlati Babalwa , Segall Nathan , Block Stanley , Peterson James , Absalon Judith , Munson Samantha , Sanchez-Pearson Yasmin , Simon Raphael , de Monerri Natalie Silmon , Radley David , Gomme Emily A , Gaylord Michelle , Gruber William C , Jansen Kathrin U , Scott Daniel A , Anderson Annaliesa S 
Published: December 2022

Background

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of invasive bacterial infections in young infants and pregnant women. Pfizer is developing a hexavalent GBS vaccine (GBS6) as a maternal vaccine to prevent invasive GBS disease due to the 6 most prevalent serotypes in young infants. We previously reported Phase 1 safety and immunogenicity data for GBS6. There is precedent for repeat doses of vaccines to augment or sustain circulating antibodies available for placental transfer with each pregnancy; thus, data to inform GBS6 booster strategies were required.

Methods

This was a Phase 2 open-label extension study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a booster dose of GBS6 (20 μg capsular polysaccharide (CPS)/serotype/dose) with or without AlPO4, given ∼2 years after primary vaccination in 151 healthy nonpregnant adults. Sera taken before and 1-month postbooster were assessed for anti-CPS IgG using a direct Luminex immunoassay. Participants recorded solicited local and systemic events for 14 days after vaccination and unsolicited safety events through 6 months after vaccination. Immunogenicity time points from the Phase 1 study are referred to as primary dose.

Results

Immunogenicity results For all serotypes, serotype-specific IgG geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) remained elevated compared to baseline at the prebooster time point and were higher 1-month postbooster than 1 month post primary. The 1-month postbooster IgG GMCs were 10- to 59-fold higher than at the prebooster time point. There were similar responses between the 2 formulations.

Safety and tolerability results The most frequently reported local reaction was mild to moderate pain at the injection site. Greater pain was associated with AlPO4 formulation.

The most frequently reported systemic events were mild to moderate headache and fatigue.

The frequency of adverse events was low. Figure 1Antibody Response Line Plot of IgG GMCs by Vaccine Group - All SerotypesFigure 2.Reverse Cumulative Distribution Curves (RCDCs) for IgG 1 Month After Primary and Booster Vaccination, by Vaccine Group – All SerotypesFigure 3.IgG Geometric Mean Fold Rises (GMFRs) at 1 Month Postbooster Vaccination

Conclusion

A booster dose of GBS6 given ∼2 years after a primary dose to healthy nonpregnant adults was safe and elicited robust immune responses that were also consistently higher than after primary dose. This study suggests that repeat vaccination with GBS6 may confer additional benefit in pregnant women in subsequent pregnancies.

Disclosures

Babalwa Jongihlati, MD, MBA, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Judith Absalon, MD, MPH, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Samantha Munson, MPH, MBA, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Yasmin Sanchez-Pearson, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Raphael Simon, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Natalie Silmon de Monerri, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds David Radley, MS, Pfizer: Employee|Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Emily A. Gomme, Ph.D., Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Michelle Gaylord, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds William C. Gruber, MD, Pfizer, Inc.: Salary|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds Kathrin U. Jansen, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Daniel A. Scott, MD, Pfizer: Employee|Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds Annaliesa S. Anderson, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds.