Study of Meninigococcal Conjugate Vaccine Containing Serogroups A,C,Y,W and X (MCV5) in Healthy Adults

Prior to the study, there was no vaccine available against serogroup X of N. meningitidis. This bacterium has caused many outbreaks in Africa and Europe in recent past. It has been responsible for outbreaks between 2006 and 2010 in Kenya, Niger, Togo, Uganda, and Burkina Faso, the latter with at least 1,300 cases of serogroup X meningitis among the 6,732 reported annual cases. The WHO has expressed concerns over the lack of a serogroup X vaccine and has encouraged more research into it. As a result, Serum Institute of India Private Limited (SIIPL) has developed the candidate vaccine MCV-5 (currently renamed NmCV-5), which is a polyvalent conjugate vaccine composed of serogroups A, C, Y, W, and X of Neisseria meningitidis capsular polysaccharides, conjugated to protein carriers, CRM and tetanus toxoid, with aluminum phosphate as an adjuvant. It is intended for the prevention of meningitis and/or septicemia caused by serogroups A, C, Y, W, and X of N. meningitidis in countries where the disease is endemic and causes large epidemics, such as the countries in the African meningitis belt.

The three-group design of the study will allow safety evaluation of the adjuvanted and nonadjuvanted MCV-5 formulations. Menactra® has been chosen as the control vaccine, because of the large safety database accumulated since the vaccine has been introduced in the USA in 2005 and progressively in other countries

Inclusion criteria

• age 18-45 years
• Written informed consent of volunteers
• Healthy as established by medical history, laboratory evaluation and screening evaluations
• Participants are able to understand and comply with planned study procedures and be available for all study visits
• Female subjects must be of non-childbearing potential (defined as surgically sterile or postmenopausal for more than 1 year), or if of childbearing potential must be practicing abstinence or using an effective licensed method of birth control

Exclusion criteria

• Previous vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis.
• Known exposure to Neisseria meningitidis in the past.
• History of meningitis or seizures or any neurological or psychiatric disorder.
• Administration of any other vaccine within 30 days prior or after administration of study vaccines.
• Use of any investigational or non-registered drug or vaccine within 30 days prior to the administration of study vaccines or planned during the study.
• History of allergic disease or known hypersensitivity to any component of the three study vaccines.
• History of Serious Adverse Reactions following administration of Tetanus Toxoid, Diphtheria Toxoid or CRM containing vaccines.
• History of Guillan-Barré syndrome.
• Confirmed or suspected immunosuppressive or immune-deficient condition. 10. A family history of congenital or hereditary immunodeficiency.
• Chronic administration (defined as more than 14 days) of immune-suppressants or other immune-modifying agents within six months prior to administration of study vaccine.
• 12. Laboratory confirmed infection of either hepatitis B virus (HBs Ag positive on ELISA), hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV positive on ELISA as well as PCR) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV on ELISA).
• Major congenital defects or serious chronic illness.
• Acute or chronic, clinically significant pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, or renal functional abnormality, as determined by medical history, physical examination or laboratory screening tests.
• Known bleeding disorders.
• Administration of immunoglobulins and/or any blood products within the three months preceding the administration of study vaccines or planned administration during the vaccine period.
• History (within the past year) or signs of alcohol or substance abuse.
• Pregnancy or lactation.
• A Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or above 30.
• Any other condition, which in the opinion of the investigator, might interfere with the study objectives, jeopardize the safety or rights of the participant or making it unlikely the participant could complete the protocol.