{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.04224598930481283, 'fraction_numerical': 0.025668449197860963, 'mean_word_length': 6.337254901960784, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 1, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Dose Optimization of H56:IC31 Vaccine for Tuberculosis‐Endemic Populations. A Double‐Blind, Placebo‐controlled, Dose‐Selection Trial

Rationale: Global tuberculosis (TB) control requires effective vaccines in TB‐endemic countries, where most adults are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). Objectives: We sought to define optimal dose and schedule of H56:IC31, an experimental TB vaccine comprising Ag85B, ESAT‐6, and Rv2660c, for M.tb‐infected and M.tb‐uninfected adults. Methods: We enrolled 98 healthy, HIV‐uninfected, bacillus Calmette‐Guérin‐vaccinated, South African adults. M.tb infection was defined by QuantiFERON‐TB (QFT) assay. QFT‐negative participants received two vaccinations of different concentrations of H56 in 500 nmol of IC31 to enable dose selection for further vaccine development. Subsequently, QFT‐positive and QFT‐negative participants were randomized to receive two or three vaccinations to compare potential schedules. Participants were followed for safety and immunogenicity for 292 days. Measurements and Main Results: H56:IC31 showed acceptable reactogenicity profiles irrespective of dose, number of vaccinations, or M.tb infection. No vaccine‐related severe or serious adverse events were observed. The three H56 concentrations tested induced equivalent frequencies and functional profiles of antigen‐specific CD4 T cells. ESAT‐6 was only immunogenic in QFT‐negative participants who received three vaccinations. Conclusions: Two or three H56:IC31 vaccinations at the lowest dose induced durable antigen‐specific CD4 T‐cell responses with acceptable safety and tolerability profiles in M.tb‐infected and M.tb‐uninfected adults. Additional studies should validate applicability of vaccine doses and regimens to both QFT‐positive and QFT‐negative individuals. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01865487).