A Phase 2b Multicenter Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of R21/Matrix-M Malaria Vaccine in African Infants With Different Immunization Schedules
The aim of this study is to identify an optimal infant vaccine schedule for a malaria vaccine which is better aligned with the timing of other vaccine interventions.
• Signed informed consent or thumb-printed and witnessed informed consent obtained from the parent/legal guardian of the infant.
• Infants must have been born full-term (at ≥37 weeks of gestation) and \> 2500 grams at birth.
• Immunization schedule Cohorts 1, 2, and 3: Male and female infants 42-49 days (inclusive) of age at time of enrollment.
• Prior to group randomization, for infants in Cohort 1 randomization to receive vaccine dose 1 (Groups 1 and 2 of R21/MM or placebo, respectively) will occur at 42-49 days of age. Infants in Cohorts 2 and 3 will not be randomized to R21/MM or placebo; placebo will no longer be given. Rather infants in these cohorts will receive open-label R21/MM according to the immunization schedule category to which they have been randomized. Infants in Cohort 2, will receive their open-label R21/MM vaccine dose 1 (Group 3) at 2 months (56-63 days of age). Infants in Cohort 3, will receive their open-label R21/MM vaccine dose 1 (Group 5) at 3 months (84-91 days of age).
• The participant's parent/guardian must be willing to avoid travel, particularly in the 28 days after each study vaccination, must confirm willingness to contact the study team in the event of unexpected/unavoidable travel and, for the safety cohort, must confirm availability for the home visits to be conducted by a field worker or nurse to collect solicited AEs over the 7 days (day of vaccination and 6 subsequent days) following each study vaccine.
• The participant's parent/guardian must confirm willingness to bring their child to the study clinic / local health care clinic, and capacity to contact the study team in the event the subject has any illnesses or other health concerns during the study.
• Participants who the investigator believes that their parent/guardian can and will comply with the requirements of the protocol (e.g. return for follow-up visits) may be enrolled in the study.