Safety and immunogenicity of a chimeric vaccine for West Nile virus in aged subjects

Abstract

Evaluation of: Biedenbender R, Bevilacqua J, Gregg AM, Watson M, Dayan G. Phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study to investigate the immunogenicity and safety of a West Nile virus vaccine in healthy adults. J. Infect. Dis. 203(1), 75–84 (2011).

A recent Phase II clinical trial has demonstrated comparable safety and immunogenicity of ChimeriVax-WN02, a chimeric West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine candidate based on yellow fever 17D, in small cohorts of healthy adults aged 18–40, 41–64 and 65–80 years. Adults ≥65 years of age are an important target population for candidate WNV vaccines as they have a high risk for severe WNV neuroinvasive disease. The apparent safety and immunogenicity of ChimeriVax-WN02 in this population indicates that further development and clinical testing are justified.

Keywords::

• adverse events
• elderly
• immunogenicity
• safety
• vaccine
• West Nile virus

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.