A Trial to Test the Response to Different Vaccination Regimens With an H5N1 Vaccine With AS03 in Adults Aged 18-64

A Phase 2, open-label, randomized, parallel group, multi-centered study designed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a 2-dose series of avian influenza vaccine plus AS03 adjuvant according to different regimens, in adults aged 18-64 years. All subjects will receive active study vaccine; no subjects are to receive placebo. A total of 312 subjects will be enrolled in this study at approximately 3 study centers in Canada. All subjects will attend formal study center visits for safety and immunogenicity assessments on Days 0, 21, 42, and 182. Additional formal study center visits will be scheduled at additional timepoints for subjects in particular dose groups. In addition, a telephone call will be conducted for all subjects on Day 51

Inclusion criteria

• A male or female 18-64 years old at the time of the first vaccination.
• Written informed consent obtained from the subject.
• Good general health as established by medical history and clinical examination before entering into the study.
• Access to a consistent means of telephone contact.
• Comprehension of the study requirements, ability to comprehend and comply with procedures for collection of short- and long-term safety data, expressed availability for the required study period, and ability and willingness to attend scheduled visits.
• Subjects who the investigator believes that they can and will comply with the requirements of the protocol should be enrolled in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of evidence of substance abuse or of neurological or psychiatric diagnoses which, even if clinically stable, are deemed by the investigator to render the potential subject unable/unlikely to provide accurate safety reports.
• Diagnosed with cancer, or treatment for cancer, within 3 years.
• Persons with a history of cancer who are disease-free without treatment for 3 years or more are eligible.
• Persons with a history of histologically-confirmed basal cell carcinoma of the skin successfully treated with local excision only are excepted and may be enrolled, but other histological types of skin cancer are exclusionary.
• Women who are disease-free 3 years or more after treatment for breast cancer and receiving long-term prophylactic tamoxifen are excepted and may be enrolled.
• Presence of an oral temperature ≥37.8ºC, or acute symptoms greater than "mild" severity on the scheduled date of first vaccination.
• Any confirmed or suspected immunosuppressive or immunodeficient condition including history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
• Receipt of systemic glucocorticoids within 1 month of study enrollment, or any other cytotoxic or immunosuppressive drug within 6 months of study enrollment.
• Any significant disorder of coagulation or treatment with Coumadin derivatives or heparin.
• Administration of any vaccines within 30 days before study enrollment or during the 30 days following the last test article dose. Subjects who receive such immunizations on an emergent basis after enrollment will be followed per protocol and included in the Total Vaccinated Cohort (TVC), but excluded from the According to Protocol (ATP) Cohort for both safety and immunogenicity.
• Previous administration of any H5N1 vaccine.
• Use of any investigational or non-registered product (drug or vaccine) or planned participation in another investigational study within 30 days prior to study enrollment, or during the 182 days following the first test article dose. Use of any investigational or non-registered product with immunosuppressive properties is exclusionary at any time during the trial.
• Receipt of any immunoglobulins and/or any blood products within 6 months of study enrollment or planned administration of any of these products during the study period.
• Any known or suspected allergy to any constituent of influenza vaccines (including egg proteins or mercurial preservatives); a history of anaphylactic-type reaction to consumption of eggs; or a history of severe adverse reaction to a previous influenza vaccine.
• Known pregnancy or a positive urine beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) test result prior to either vaccination.
• Lactating or nursing.
• Women of child bearing potential who lack a history of reliable contraceptive practices. The provision of this history does NOT replace the requirement to perform, and obtain negative results in pregnancy urine tests prior to treatments. Note: all women will have urine pregnancy tests regardless of their status.
• Known receipt of analgesic or antipyretic medication on the day of treatment with specific intent of prophylaxis of vaccine reactogenicity on the day of first or any treatment. Subjects on stable chronic regimens of potentially analgesic or anti-pyretic medications for pre-existing diagnoses are not required to discontinue them