Safety and immunogenicity of the protein-based PHH-1V compared to BNT162b2 as a heterologous SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccine in adults vaccinated against COVID-19: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority phase IIb trial
Authors: Corominas Júlia , Garriga Carme , Prenafeta Antoni , Moros Alexandra , Cañete Manuel , Barreiro Antonio , González-González Luis , Madrenas Laia , Güell Irina , Clotet Bonaventura , Izquierdo-Useros Nuria , Raïch-Regué Dàlia , Gallemí Marçal , Blanco Julià , Pradenas Edwards , Trinité Benjamin , Prado Julia G , Blanch-Lombarte Oscar , Pérez-Caballero Raúl , Plana Montserrat , Esteban Ignasi , Pastor-Quiñones Carmen , Núñez-Costa Xavier , Taleb Rachel Abu , McSkimming Paula , Soriano Alex , Nava Jocelyn , Anagua Jesse Omar , Ramos Rafel , Lluch Ruth Martí , Comes Aida Corpes , Romero Susana Otero , Gomez Xavier Martinez , Sans-Pola Carla , Moltó José , Benet Susana , Bailón Lucía , Arribas Jose R , Borobia Alberto M , Parada Javier Queiruga , Navarro-Pérez Jorge , Forner Giner Maria José , Lucas Rafael Ortí , Vázquez Jiménez María del Mar , Compán Salvador Oña , Alvarez-Mon Melchor , Troncoso Daniel , Arana-Arri Eunate , Meijide Susana , Imaz-Ayo Natale , García Patricia Muñoz , de la Villa Martínez Sofía , Fernández Sara Rodríguez , Prat Teresa , Torroella Èlia , Ferrer Laura 
Published: July 2022

Background

A SARS-CoV-2 protein-based heterodimer vaccine, PHH-1V, has been shown to be safe and welltolerated in healthy young adults in a first-in-human, Phase I/IIa study dose-escalation trial. Here, we report the interim results of the Phase IIb HH-2, where the immunogenicity and safety of a heterologous booster with PHH-1V is assessed versus a homologous booster with BNT162b2 at 14, 28 and 98 days after vaccine administration.

Methods

The HH-2 study is an ongoing multicentre, randomised, active-controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority Phase IIb trial, where participants 18 years or older who had received two doses of BNT162b2 were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive a booster dose of vaccine —either heterologous (PHH-1V group) or homologous (BNT162b2 group)— in 10 centres in Spain. Eligible subjects were allocated to treatment stratified by age group (18-64 versus ≥65 years) with approximately 10% of the sample enrolled in the older age group. The primary endpoints were humoral immunogenicity measured by changes in levels of neutralizing antibodies (PBNA) against the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain after the PHH-1V or the BNT162b2 boost, and the safety and tolerability of PHH-1V as a boost. The secondary endpoints were to compare changes in levels of neutralizing antibodies against different variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the T-cell responses towards the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein peptides. The exploratory endpoint was to assess the number of subjects with SARS-CoV-2 infections ≥14 days after PHH-1V booster. This study is ongoing and is registered withClinicalTrials.gov,NCT05142553.

Findings

From 15 November 2021, 782 adults were randomly assigned to PHH-1V (n=522) or BNT162b2 (n=260) boost vaccine groups. The geometric mean titre (GMT) ratio of neutralizing antibodies on days 14, 28 and 98, shown as BNT162b2 active control versus PHH-1V, was, respectively, 1·68 (p<0·0001), 1·31 (p=0·0007) and 0·86 (p=0·40) for the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain; 0·62 (p<0·0001), 0·65 (p<0·0001) and 0·56 (p=0·003) for the Beta variant; 1·01 (p=0·92), 0·88 (p=0·11) and 0·52 (p=0·0003) for the Delta variant; and 0·59 (p=<0·0001), 0·66 (p<0·0001) and 0·57 (p=0·0028) for the Omicron BA.1 variant. Additionally, PHH-1V as a booster dose induced a significant increase of CD4+and CD8+T-cells expressing IFN-γ on day 14. There were 458 participants who experienced at least one adverse event (89·3%) in the PHH-1V and 238 (94·4%) in the BNT162b2 group. The most frequent adverse events were injection site pain (79·7% and 89·3%), fatigue (27·5% and 42·1%) and headache (31·2 and 40·1%) for the PHH-1V and the BNT162b2 groups, respectively. A total of 52 COVID-19 cases occurred from day 14 post-vaccination (10·14%) for the PHH-1V group and 30 (11·90%) for the BNT162b2 group (p=0·45), and none of the subjects developed severe COVID-19.

Interpretation

Our interim results from the Phase IIb HH-2 trial show that PHH-1V as a heterologous booster vaccine, when compared to BNT162b2, although it does not reach a non-inferior neutralizing antibody response against the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain at days 14 and 28 after vaccination, it does so at day 98. PHH-1V as a heterologous booster elicits a superior neutralizing antibody response against the previous circulating Beta and the currently circulating Omicron BA.1 SARS-CoV-2 variants in all time points assessed, and for the Delta variant on day 98 as well. Moreover, the PHH-1V boost also induces a strong and balanced T-cell response. Concerning the safety profile, subjects in the PHH-1V group report significantly fewer adverse events than those in the BNT162b2 group, most of mild intensity, and both vaccine groups present comparable COVID-19 breakthrough cases, none of them severe.

Funding

HIPRA SCIENTIFIC, S.L.U.