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Hepatitis BPhase 4NCT03897946

Evaluating Immunogenicity of a Birth Dose of HBV Vaccine in the DRC

A Phase 4 study testing Birth dose hepatitis B vaccine in people with Hepatitis B, run by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill at 1 site in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This project will assess the immunogenicity of a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine in hepatitis B-exposed and hepatitis B-unexposed infants in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages Up to 45 years
Conditions the study is for
Hepatitis B
What is being tested?
Birth dose hepatitis B vaccine
Type of treatment
Vaccines
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
569 participants
Where
1 siteDemocratic Republic of the Congo
Study dates
20 Aug 2019to 5 Feb 2021
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Up to 45 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • HBsAg+ mothers and HBsAg- mothers will be recruited from the cohort screened during the AVERT study at 2 maternity centers (Binza and Kingasani) in Kinshasa.
  • Infants born to HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative women who receive care at Binza and Kingasani maternity centers will be recruited for participation in this study.

Who cannot join

  • Any women who do not intend to stay in Kinshasa for prenatal care through delivery or who deliver at a facility other than Binza or Kingasani
  • Women <18 years of age
  • INFANTS
  • HIV-exposed infants (those born to HIV-positive mothers) will be excluded given an expected difference in immune response in these infants and inability to recruit enough HIV-exposed infants to be able to detect these differences in immune response
  • HBV-unexposed infants weighing <2,000 grams at birth will not be eligible to receive the birth HBV vaccine. (HBV-exposed infants receive the birth dose vaccine regardless of birth weight because the potential benefit of preventing mother-to-child transmission outweighs the potential risk of vaccination in a low birthweight infant. The research team recognizes that Group B may include a disproportionate number of low birthweight infants compared to Group C, but will account for this in post-hoc analyses and if need be, will exclude low birthweight infants from the analysis to account for potential bias).
  • Infants born at a facility other than one of the two maternity centers

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Democratic Republic of the Congo1 site
  • Binza and Kingasani Maternity Centers

    Kinshasa

Other trials in Democratic Republic of the Congo

About this study

This project will assess the immunogenicity of a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine in hepatitis B-exposed and hepatitis B-unexposed infants in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A better understanding of the protection offered by the addition of birth dose vaccine to the EPI schedule is necessary in order to promote universal adoption of a birth dose vaccine in the DRC and throughout SSA.

Read the detailed description

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a neglected tropical disease despite the availability of effective prevention measures. HBV vaccine has been incorporated into pediatric immunization schedules worldwide for nearly two decades, and yet 257 million people are still living with chronic HBV infection. Current control measures are failing to prevent further transmission of HBV, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence surpasses 8% in highly endemic areas. An estimated 1% of infants (>365,000 per year) are infected with HBV by mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) in SSA, and when infected in the first year of life, these infants have a 90% risk of developing chronic infection.

Pediatric HBV is a substantial problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Preliminary data from the 2013-2014 Demographic and Health Survey in the DRC revealed that 2.2% of children under the age of five are infected with HBV.

Why is the seroprevalence of HBV so high in children? The three-dose HBV vaccine has been part of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in the DRC since 2007, with vaccination rates now approaching 80%. However, the EPI vaccination schedule does not begin until six weeks of life. In contrast, in developed countries, infants receive the first dose of HBV vaccine at birth. This birth dose is rarely administered in SSA. Routine birth dose vaccination could be a simple and cost-effective means to reduce the pool of infected and highly infectious children in the DRC.

While the protective efficacy of a three-dose series of HBV vaccine plus immunoglobulin (HBIG) initiated at birth is ≥95%, immunogenicity of HBV vaccine administered according to the EPI schedule (pentavalent vaccine administered at 6,10 and 14 weeks) is only 80-85%. This gap in antibody response leads to a significant population of children who are potentially vulnerable to infection in infancy or later in life. The immunogenicity of a four-dose HBV vaccine series including a monovalent birth dose prior to the EPI schedule has not been fully assessed to date. Furthermore, HBIG is not available in SSA due to prohibitive cost and storage issues, necessitating an evaluation of the effectiveness of the vaccine series alone without HBIG.

In collaboration with the DRC Ministry of Health, Abbott Laboratories and Ohio State University, the investigators are conducting the Arresting Vertical Transmission of HBV (AVERT-HBV) study, which leverages the existing HIV PMTCT framework in the DRC to screen and treat pregnant women and their infants to prevent MTCT of HBV. The investigators will use the AVERT study population to recruit participants (HBV-exposed infants and their mothers) for this study. Women who screen negative for HBV as part of AVERT will be included in this study as the HBV-unexposed cohort.

While HIV PMTCT programs have been successful in reducing the number of HIV-infected infants in the DRC, many infants fall into the HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) category. These HEU infants are known to have lowered immune responses to vaccines than HIV-unexposed infants, including protective immunity to HBV after the EPI-associated three-dose series. Little is known about the effects of in utero HBV exposure on the immune response to HBV vaccine. The investigators hypothesize that because the immune response of infants exposed to HBV may be blunted, these infants may benefit from an additional dose of HBV vaccine at birth.

Using the AVERT-HBV cohort as a basis, this project will assess the immunogenicity of the birth dose vaccine in HBV-exposed and HBV-unexposed infants. A better understanding of the protection offered by the addition of birth dose vaccine to the EPI schedule is necessary in order to promote universal adoption of a birth dose vaccine in the DRC and throughout SSA.

This prospective cohort study will involve 100 HBV-exposed infants who will receive 4 doses of HBV vaccine starting at birth (Group A), 100 HBV-unexposed infants who receive 3 doses of HBV vaccine according to the EPI schedule (Group B) and 100 HBV-unexposed infants who receive 4 doses of HBV vaccine starting at birth (Group C). The infants will be followed for 12 months, at which time protective immunity against HBV, defined as HBsAb ≥10 milli-international units (mIU)/mL, will be measured.

Conditions
Hepatitis B
Being tested
Birth dose hepatitis B vaccine
Medical subject headings
Hepatitis B

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Birth dose hepatitis B vaccineBiological

    Groups A and C will receive a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of life.

Study groups in NCT03897946
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Group A: Hepatitis B exposed, with birth doseExperimentalThe 100 HBV-exposed (born to HBsAg-positive mothers) infants who are already enrolled in the parent AVERT study will also be enrolled in the current study, as the "HBV-exposed cohort" (Group A). These exposed infants will not receive additional interventions on top of the AVERT study since they will already be receiving a birth dose vaccine through the AVERT study.
Receives: Biological: Birth dose hepatitis B vaccine
Group B: Hepatitis B unexposed, no birth doseNo interventionFor the "HBV-unexposed cohort" in this study, the investigators will enroll 200 infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers. Half (100) of these infants will receive the routine three-dose series of HBV vaccine according to the standard EPI schedule in the DRC with no additional birth dose vaccine (Group B).
Group C: Hepatitis B unexposed, with birth doseExperimentalGroup C will consist of the other half (100) of infants in the "HBV-unexposed cohort" who will receive four doses of HBV vaccine including a birth dose vaccine prior to the routine EPI schedule.
Receives: Biological: Birth dose hepatitis B vaccine

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Proportion of Infants with Protective Immunity

    Protective immunity is defined as quantitative HBsAb ≥ 10 milli-International unit(mIU)/mL

    Measured: At 12 months of age

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Proportion of Infants with Adverse Reactions to the Birth Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine

    Adverse reactions will include fever, fatigue and injection site soreness, as described in the Package Insert (https://www.fda.gov/downloads/biologicsbloodvaccines/vaccines/approvedproducts/ucm224503.pdf). Infants will be monitored for adverse reactions for safety purposes during the time they spend with their mothers at the maternity center after birth (expected average stay of 2-3 days).

    Measured: Within 2-3 days after birth

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Apr 2019
  2. Study start20 Aug 2019
  3. Primary completion5 Feb 2021
  4. Study completion5 Feb 2021

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
569 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03897946
Sponsor's protocol ID
18-2793
Status last verified
Mar 2021
First submitted
29 Mar 2019
Last updated
3 Mar 2021
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • O'Hara GA, McNaughton AL, Maponga T, Jooste P, Ocama P, Chilengi R, Mokaya J, Liyayi MI, Wachira T, Gikungi DM, Burbridge L, O'Donnell D, Akiror CS, Sloan D, Torimiro J, Yindom LM, Walton R, Andersson M, Marsh K, Newton R, Matthews PC. Hepatitis B virus infection as a neglected tropical disease. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017 Oct 5;11(10):e0005842. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005842. eCollection 2017 Oct. No abstract available.

    PubMed 28981505
  • Schweitzer A, Horn J, Mikolajczyk RT, Krause G, Ott JJ. Estimations of worldwide prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a systematic review of data published between 1965 and 2013. Lancet. 2015 Oct 17;386(10003):1546-55. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61412-X. Epub 2015 Jul 28.

    PubMed 26231459
  • Keane E, Funk AL, Shimakawa Y. Systematic review with meta-analysis: the risk of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus infection in sub-Saharan Africa. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2016 Nov;44(10):1005-1017. doi: 10.1111/apt.13795. Epub 2016 Sep 15.

    PubMed 27630001
  • Edmunds WJ, Medley GF, Nokes DJ, O'Callaghan CJ, Whittle HC, Hall AJ. Epidemiological patterns of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in highly endemic areas. Epidemiol Infect. 1996 Oct;117(2):313-25. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800001497.

    PubMed 8870629
  • Breakwell L, Tevi-Benissan C, Childs L, Mihigo R, Tohme R. The status of hepatitis B control in the African region. Pan Afr Med J. 2017 Jun 22;27(Suppl 3):17. doi: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2017.27.3.11981. eCollection 2017.

    PubMed 29296152
  • Wilson P, Parr JB, Jhaveri R, Meshnick SR. Call to Action: Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B in Africa. J Infect Dis. 2018 Mar 28;217(8):1180-1183. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiy028.

    PubMed 29351639
  • Andersson MI, Rajbhandari R, Kew MC, Vento S, Preiser W, Hoepelman AI, Theron G, Cotton M, Cohn J, Glebe D, Lesi O, Thursz M, Peters M, Chung R, Wiysonge C. Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus in sub-Saharan Africa: time to act. Lancet Glob Health. 2015 Jul;3(7):e358-9. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(15)00056-X. No abstract available.

    PubMed 26087980
  • Klingler C, Thoumi AI, Mrithinjayam VS. Cost-effectiveness analysis of an additional birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent perinatal transmission in a medical setting in Mozambique. Vaccine. 2012 Dec 17;31(1):252-9. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.08.007. Epub 2012 Aug 15.

    PubMed 22902676
  • Poovorawan Y, Sanpavat S, Pongpunlert W, Chumdermpadetsuk S, Sentrakul P, Safary A. Protective efficacy of a recombinant DNA hepatitis B vaccine in neonates of HBe antigen-positive mothers. JAMA. 1989 Jun 9;261(22):3278-81.

    PubMed 2523981
  • Wong VC, Ip HM, Reesink HW, Lelie PN, Reerink-Brongers EE, Yeung CY, Ma HK. Prevention of the HBsAg carrier state in newborn infants of mothers who are chronic carriers of HBsAg and HBeAg by administration of hepatitis-B vaccine and hepatitis-B immunoglobulin. Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study. Lancet. 1984 Apr 28;1(8383):921-6. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)92388-2.

    PubMed 6143868
  • Tsega E, Tafesse B, Nordenfelt E, Wolde-Hawariat G, Hansson BG, Lindberg J. Immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccine simultaneously administered with the expanded programme on immunisation (EPI). J Med Virol. 1990 Dec;32(4):232-5. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890320407.

    PubMed 2150529
  • Apiung T, Ndanu TA, Mingle JA, Sagoe KW. Hepatitis B virus surface antigen and antibody markers in children at a major paediatric hospital after the pentavalent DTP-HBV-Hib vaccination. Ghana Med J. 2017 Mar;51(1):13-19. doi: 10.4314/gmj.v51i1.3.

    PubMed 28959067
  • Abu-Raya B, Kollmann TR, Marchant A, MacGillivray DM. The Immune System of HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants. Front Immunol. 2016 Sep 28;7:383. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2016.00383. eCollection 2016.

    PubMed 27733852
  • Njom Nlend AE, Nguwoh PS, Ngounouh CT, Tchidjou HK, Pieme CA, Otele JM, Penlap V, Colizzi V, Moyou RS, Fokam J. HIV-Infected or -Exposed Children Exhibit Lower Immunogenicity to Hepatitis B Vaccine in Yaounde, Cameroon: An Appeal for Revised Policies in Tropical Settings? PLoS One. 2016 Sep 22;11(9):e0161714. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161714. eCollection 2016.

    PubMed 27656883
  • Tulenko SE, Ngimbi P, Mwandagalirwa K, Tabala M, Matondo J, Ntambua S, Mbonze N, Mbendi C, Luhata C, Jhaveri R, Edwards JK, Becker-Dreps S, Moormann AM, Kaba D, Yotebieng M, Parr JB, Gower EW, Thompson P. Immunogenicity of a Birth Dose of Hepatitis B Vaccine in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: A Randomised, Controlled Trial. J Viral Hepat. 2024 Dec;31(12):795-807. doi: 10.1111/jvh.14003. Epub 2024 Sep 24.

    PubMed 39314125

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Birth dose hepatitis B vaccine in people with Hepatitis B, run by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill at 1 site in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Mar 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Proportion of Infants with Protective Immunity (time frame: At 12 months of age). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03897946, which also lists 15 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Mar 2021.

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