Johnson & Johnson Ebola Vaccine Data Shows Strong Immune Response

(RTTNews) - Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) Ebola vaccine regimen, Zabdeno (Ad26.ZEBOV) and Mvabea (MVA-BN-Filo), demonstrated robust and durable immune response in adults and children (ages 1-17). The two-dose vaccine was also found to be safe and well tolerated, the company said citing data published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

About 98% of trial participants showed antibody responses 21 days after the second dose of the vaccine, and the immune response lasted for at least two years in adults.

The company noted that booster vaccination, administered to adults two years after the initial vaccination, induced a strong immune response within seven days.

The company said the data support the potential prophylactic use of its Ebola vaccine regimen to protect adults and children.

Johnson & Johnson stated that the EBOVAC-Salone study was conducted in Sierra Leone and is the first to assess the safety and tolerability of its Ebola vaccine regimen in adults in a region affected by the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, which was the worst on record.

The Phase 3 study was designed to gather information on the safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose, heterologous (containing different vaccine components administered at different timepoints) Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine regimen.

In the regimen, Ad26.ZEBOV was administered intramuscularly as the first dose vaccination followed 56 days later by MVA-BN-Filo as the second dose vaccination.

The study was divided into two stages. In stage one, 43 adults aged 18 years or older were vaccinated to gain information about the safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose vaccine regimen.

In stage two, 400 adults and 576 children or adolescents were vaccinated. Consenting adults participating in stage one of the study were administered a booster dose of A26.ZEBOV two years after the first dose.

The study was conducted at three clinics in Kambia District, Sierra Leone. Long term follow-up of the study participants is underway.