Phase II/III Double-Blind Study Evaluating Safety and Immunogenicity of a Single Intramuscular Booster Dose of the Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine “Patria” (AVX/COVID-12) Using an Active Newcastle Disease Viral Vector (NDV) during the Omicron Outbreak in Healthy Adults with Elevated Baseline Antibody Titers from Prior COVID-19 and/or SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination
Authors: López-Macías Constantino , Torres Martha , Armenta-Copca Brenda , Wacher Niels H. , Galindo-Fraga Arturo , Castro-Castrezana Laura , Colli-Domínguez Andrea Alicia , Cervantes-Trujano Edgar , Rucker-Joerg Isabel Erika , Lozano-Patiño Fernando , Rivera-Alcocer Juan José , Simón-Campos Abraham , Sánchez-Campos Efrén Alberto , Aguirre-Rivero Rafael , Muñiz-Carvajal Alejandro José , Carpio-Orantes Luis del , Márquez-Díaz Francisco , Rivera-Hernández Tania , Torres-Flores Alejandro , Ramírez-Martínez Luis , Paz-De la Rosa Georgina , Rojas-Martínez Oscar , Suárez-Martínez Alejandro , Peralta-Sánchez Gustavo , Carranza Claudia , Juárez Esmeralda , Zamudio-Meza Horacio , Carreto-Binaghi Laura E. , Viettri Mercedes , Romero-Rodríguez Damaris , Palencia Andrea , Sarfati-Mizrahi David , Sun Weina , Chagoya-Cortés Héctor Elías , Castro-Peralta Felipa , Palese Peter , Krammer Florian , García-Sastre Adolfo , Lozano-Dubernard Bernardo 
Published: February 2024

Background

The urgent need for safe, effective, and economical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, especially for booster campaigns targeting vulnerable populations, prompted the development of the AVX/COVID-12 vaccine candidate. AVX/COVD-12 is based in a Newcastle disease virus La Sota (NDV-LaSota) recombinant viral vector. This vaccine expresses a stabilized version of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), specifically the ancestral Wuhan strain. The study aimed to assess its safety, immunogenicity, and potential efficacy as an anti-COVID-19 booster vaccine.

Methods

In a phase II/III clinical trial conducted from November 9, 2022, to September 11, 2023, a total of 4,056 volunteers were enrolled. Participants received an intramuscular booster dose of either AVX/COVID-12 or AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccines. Safety, immunogenicity, and potential efficacy were assessed through various measures, including neutralizing antibody titers, interferon (IFN)-γ-producing CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells. The evaluation also involved immunobridging, utilizing the AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccine as an active comparator, and monitoring the incidence of COVID-19 cases.

Findings

The AVX/COVID-12 vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies against both the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and the BA.2 and BA.5 Omicron variants. The geometric mean ratio of neutralizing antibody titers between individuals immunized with the AVX/COVID-12 vaccine and those with the AZ/ChAdOx-1-S vaccine at 14 days is 0.96, with a confidence interval (CI) of 0.85-1.06. The outcome aligns with the non-inferiority criterion recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating a lower limit of the CI greater than or equal to 0.67. Induction of IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells at day 14 post-immunization was exclusively observed in the AVX/COVID-12 group. Finally, a trend suggested a potentially lower incidence of COVID-19 cases in AVX/COVID-12 boosted volunteers compared to AZ/ChAdOx-1-S recipients.

Conclusion

The AVX/COVID-12 vaccine proved safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic. AVX/COVID-12 meets the WHO non-inferiority standard compared to AZ/ChAdOx-1-S. These results strongly advocate for AVX/COVID-12 as a viable booster dose, supporting its utilization in the population.