COVID-19 Booster Vaccine in Autoimmune Disease Non-Responders

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Clinical Trial

Official title: Booster Effects With Autoimmune Treatments in Patients With Poor Response to Initial COVID-19 Vaccine (ACV01)

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a randomized, multi-site, adaptive, open-label clinical trial comparing the immune response to different additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine in participants with autoimmune disease requiring IS medications. All study participants will have negative serologic or suboptimal responses (defined as a Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S result ≤200 U/mL) or a low immune response (defined as a Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S result >200 U/ml and ≤2500 U/mL) to their previous doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

The study will focus on 5 autoimmune diseases in adults:

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

• Systemic Sclerosis (SSc), and

• Pemphigus.

This study will focus on 4 autoimmune diseases in pediatric participants:

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

• Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis (POMS)

• Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM)

Clinical Trial Description

Adult Population:

Stage 1 of this trial will enroll up to a maximum of 900 adult study participants (up to 60 participants per arm).

Participants will be assigned to one of 3 cohorts based on their IS regimens:

• Cohort A: Receipt of MMF or MPA

• Cohort B: Receipt of MTX

• Cohort C: Receipt of any BCDT within the past 18 months.

Treatment Arms: Participants in Cohorts A, B, and C will be assigned to receive an additional dose of the same COVID-19 vaccine as their original vaccine series. The trial initially enrolled participants who were vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, and the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. Update: Arms to receive an additional homologous vaccine dose after an initial Janssen COVID 19 Vaccine were closed to enrollment after the CDC updated its recommendations to express a clinical preference for individuals to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine over the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. All Adult Stage 1 treatment arms were closed to enrollment on 15 August 2022.

Participants in Cohorts A and B will be randomized into 2 IS medication treatment plans as follows:

• Participants continue to take their cohort-defining IS medications without alterations in schedule and dosing.

• Participants withhold their cohort-defining IS medications before and after the additional homologous vaccine dose per protocol instructions.

A participant will be enrolled in the study for a maximum of approximately 13 months.

Stage 2 of this trial will include up to a maximum of 960 adult study participants (up to 80per arm) with a Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S result ≤2500 U/mL after previous COVID-19 vaccine administration (at least 3 doses of mRNA vaccine(s) or 2 doses of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine). Participants will be eligible to receive a dose of an alternative COVID-19 vaccine.

Participants may have received their previous COVID-19 vaccine prior to enrollment in the study ("newly recruited participant"), or they may have received their previous COVID-19 vaccine as a study participant and then (re-) enter into Stage 2 ("rollover participant"). Participants can also roll over into Stage 2 via two pathways:

• Stage 1 participant rolls over to Stage 2

• Stage 2 participant rolls over to a different Stage 2 treatment arm

Participants will be allocated to 1 of 3 cohorts based on their IS regimens:

• Cohort D: Receipt of MMF or MPA

• Cohort E: Receipt of MTX

• Cohort F: Receipt of any BCDT within the past 18 months.

Treatment Arms: Participants in Cohorts D, E, and F will receive a dose of an alternative COVID-19 vaccine compared to their previous COVID-19 vaccine doses. Originally, participants who previously received 3 total doses of a single mRNA vaccine (Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine OR Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine) received their choice of either the Janssen vector-based COVID-19 vaccine or the other mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and participants who previously received 2 doses of the Janssen vector based COVID-19 vaccine received the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.

Update: Beginning with v4.0 of the protocol, this trial will not utilize the Janssen vector-based COVID-19 vaccine. Participants who previously received 3 total doses of a single mRNA vaccine will receive their choice of an alternative mRNA COVID-19 vaccine or the Sanofi-GSK protein based COVID-19 vaccine. Participants who previously received 4 or more doses of a single mRNA vaccine or 3 or more doses of a mixture mRNA vaccines (Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine AND Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, in any order or combination) will receive the Sanofi-GSK protein-based COVID-19 vaccine.

Participants in Cohorts D and E will withhold their cohort-defining IS medications before and after the alternative vaccine dose per protocol instructions. Participants in Cohort F who are taking MMF, MPA, or MTX in addition to BCDTs will withhold these medications before and after the alternative vaccine dose per protocol instructions.

Visits to assess endpoints will occur at Baseline (Week 0), Week 4 ± 1 week, Week 12 ± 2 weeks, Week 24 ± 2 weeks, Week 36 ± 2 weeks, and Week 48 ± 2 weeks. A participant who is newly recruited to the study for entry into Stage 2 may be on study for up to a maximum of 13 months. A participant who enters Stage 2 after a serologic negative, suboptimal, or low immune response to their Stage 1 vaccine dose may be on study for up to a maximum of 26 months. Rollover participants will discontinue follow-up as part of Stage 1 upon rollover into Stage 2. A participant who rolls over to a different Stage 2 treatment arm 2 after a serologic negative, suboptimal, or low immune response to another Stage 2 vaccine dose may be on study for up to a maximum of 38 months.

Pediatric Population:

Stage 1 in the pediatric portion of this trial will enroll up to a maximum of 800 participants (2-17 years of age) with a Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S result ≤2500 U/mL after receiving an initial COVID-19 vaccine regimen (up to 80participants per arm). Vaccines will be included in this protocol as they receive EUA or approval by FDA for a given age group. Pediatric participants will have 1 of 4 autoimmune diseases: pediatric SLE, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), or pediatriconset multiple sclerosis (POMS). Participants will be assigned to 1 of 3 cohorts based on their IS regimens:

• Cohort A: Receipt of MMF or MPA

• Cohort B: Receipt of MTX

• Cohort C: Receipt of any BCDT within the past 18 months.

Treatment Arms: Participants in Cohorts A, B, and C will be assigned to receive an additional dose of the same vaccine as their original vaccine series. Based on FDA EUA status, pediatric participants were initially eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine only.

Participants in Cohorts A and B will be randomized into 2 IS medication treatment plans as follows):

• Participants continue to take their cohort-defining IS medications without alterations in schedule and dosing.

• Participants withhold their cohort-defining IS medications before and after the additional homologous vaccine dose per protocol instructions.

A participant will be enrolled in the study for a maximum of approximately 13 months.

Stage 2 of the pediatric portion of this trial will include up to a maximum of 480 pediatric study participants (up to 80 per arm) with a Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S result ≤2500 U/mL after previous COVID-19 vaccine administration (an age-appropriate EUA-authorized or FDA-approved initial COVID-19 vaccine regimen plus 1 additional dose of the same vaccine). All participants (2-17 years of age) who previously received doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine are eligible to receive an age-appropriate dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. Participants 12 through 17 years of age who previously received doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to receive an age-appropriate dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Participants will be eligible to receive a dose of an alternative COVID-19 vaccine. Participants may have received their previous COVID-19 vaccine as a study participant and then enter into Stage 2 ("rollover participant"), or they may have received their previous COVID-19 vaccine prior to enrollment in the study ("newly recruited participant").

Participants will be allocated to 1 of 3 cohorts based on their IS regimens:

• Cohort D: Receipt of MMF or MPA (± other rheumatic disease medications, including biologics)

o Participants who are taking MMF or MPA (without additional B cell depleting medications or MTX) will be placed in this cohort.

• Cohort E: Receipt of MTX (± other rheumatic disease medications, including biologics)

o Participants who are taking MTX (without additional B cell depleting medications or MMF/ MPA) will be placed in this cohort.

• Cohort F: Receipt of B cell depletion therapy within the past 18 months (± other rheumatic disease medications) o Participants taking B cell depletion medications, regardless of whether they are also taking MMF or MTX, will be placed in this cohort.

Treatment Arms: Participants in Cohorts D, E, and F will receive a dose of an alternative COVID-19 vaccine compared to their previous COVID-19 vaccine doses. Participants who previously received age-appropriate doses of a single mRNA vaccine (Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine OR Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, as noted above) will receive the other mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Beginning with v7.0 of the protocol all vaccines used are bivalent versions replacing original monovalent versions.

Participants in Cohorts D and E will withhold their cohort-defining IS medications before and after the alternative vaccine dose per protocol instructions (see Section 7.1.1 Protocol-mandated Medications).

Participants in Cohort F who are taking MMF, MPA, or MTX in addition to B cell depletion therapies (BCDTs) will withhold these medications before and after the alternative vaccine dose per protocol instruction.

A participant who enters Stage 2 after a serologic negative, suboptimal, or low immune response to their Stage 1 vaccine dose may be on study for up to a maximum of 26 months. Rollover participants will discontinue follow-up as part of Stage 1 upon rollover into Stage

2. A participant who is newly recruited to the study for entry into Stage 2 may be on study for up to a maximum of 13 months.

Adaptive Design

An adaptive design will be employed such that cohorts and arms defined by additional vaccine doses and IS treatment plans may be added or modified based on emerging data from existing and new FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or approvals of COVID-19 vaccines:

• New cohorts may be defined based on changes in the medication groups if it becomes obvious that certain medications are highly associated with suboptimal or low immune serologic response to initial COVID-19 vaccine regimen.

• Cohorts may limit or expand the autoimmune diseases that are eligible to be included in the clinical trial and may include expansion cohorts of underrepresented diseases.

• New cohorts may include participants whose antibody response falls to suboptimal or low immune levels over time.

• Based upon timing of the FDA EUA authorization for children of each of the COVID-19 vaccines used in this trial, the age range of the inclusion criteria may be expanded.

• Allocation or randomization to treatment with new COVID-19 vaccines may be incorporated into the design when the products become available.

• Identification of additional strategies to enhance vaccine responsiveness in autoimmune diseases, including a temporary switch of immunomodulatory medications. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Arthritis
• Arthritis, Juvenile
• Autoimmune Diseases
• COVID-19
• Dermatomyositis
• Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM)
• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
• Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Pemphigus
• Pemphigus Vulgaris
• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
• Scleroderma, Systemic
• Sclerosis
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
• Systemic Sclerosis (SSc)

• NCT number: NCT05000216
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: August 13, 2021
• Completion date: March 28, 2024