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Mosquirix: what was done before first-in-human, and what came after?

RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine · P. falciparum CSP-HBsAg (RTS,S) VLPs; TLR4 (AS01 adjuvant)

Before first-in-human

First-in-human: where
Not stated in public reviews
Not reported in the public reviews. Reviewers summarise selectively, so this usually means it wasn't discussed publicly, not that it wasn't studied.
Repeat-dose tox before first-in-human
Not stated in public reviews
Not reported in the public reviews. Reviewers summarise selectively, so this usually means it wasn't discussed publicly, not that it wasn't studied.
First-in-human starting dose
Not stated in public reviews
Why it's blank

The public FDA and EMA reviews of Mosquirix don't say how the first human dose was chosen. That rationale is in the IND, which is confidential, so it is missing for most approved products.

How it's usually set for vaccines outside oncology

Find the highest dose with no adverse effects (NOAEL) in each animal species, convert it to a human equivalent dose, usually by body surface area, pick the most appropriate species, then divide by a safety factor (default 10) to get the maximum recommended starting dose.

“In general, one should consider using a safety factor of at least 10. The MRSD should be obtained by dividing the HED by the safety factor.”
✓ VerifiedFDA 2005: Estimating the Maximum Safe Starting Dose in Initial Clinical…, p. 7Source ↗
This product's starting point

NOAEL / key findings: No NOAEL stated; dose-related acute injection-site inflammation, fully recovered 28 days after last dose; no systemic toxicity (EMA assessment report, p. 51)

Full method, every step sourced →

Longest repeat-dose systemic studies

Longest repeat-dose study and recovery
Rabbit RTS,S/AS01B IM, 4 doses; necropsy Day 45 or after 28-day recovery (Day 70)
“Five males and five females from each group were killed on Day 45 (3 days after the last injection) and the remainder on Day 70 of study (28 days after the last injection) in order to study recovery.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 50Source ↗
Pivotal GLP studies
GLP rabbit IM RTS,S/AS01B, 4 doses at 2-week intervals (Days 0-42); AS01B, QS-21 and MPL component studies
“Two groups of 20 New Zealand White rabbits (10 males + 10 females) were administered 4 intramuscular (IM) injections at 2 weeks interval (Day 0, 14, 28 and 42) of the candidate vaccine.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 49Source ↗

DART package

Species: DART
Not conducted: not intended for women of childbearing potential
“and developmental toxicity studies were not included in this Application since the RTS,S/ AS01E candidate vaccine containing, AS01E, MPL, QS-21 is not intended for administration to women of childbearing potential.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 55Source ↗
Reproductive & developmental
Not conducted: vaccine not intended for women of childbearing potential
“and developmental toxicity studies were not included in this Application since the RTS,S/ AS01E candidate vaccine containing, AS01E, MPL, QS-21 is not intended for administration to women of childbearing potential.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 55Source ↗
PPND / ePPND: when
Not conducted: vaccine not intended for women of childbearing potential
“and developmental toxicity studies were not included in this Application since the RTS,S/ AS01E candidate vaccine containing, AS01E, MPL, QS-21 is not intended for administration to women of childbearing potential.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 55Source ↗

Carcinogenicity

Species: carcinogenicity
Not conducted (not required per WHO/EMA vaccine guidance)
“According to the WHO Guidelines on Nonclinical Evaluation of Vaccines (WHO, 2005), the EMEA Note for Guidance on Preclinical Pharmacological and Toxicological testing of Vaccines (CPMP/SWP/465/95) and the Guideline on adjuvants in vaccines for human use (EMEA/CHMP/VEG/134716/2004), carcinogenicity studies are not required for final vaccine formulations, Adjuvants Systems and/or immunoenhancers.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 54Source ↗
Carcinogenicity model
Not conducted (not required per WHO/EMA vaccine guidance)
“According to the WHO Guidelines on Nonclinical Evaluation of Vaccines (WHO, 2005), the EMEA Note for Guidance on Preclinical Pharmacological and Toxicological testing of Vaccines (CPMP/SWP/465/95) and the Guideline on adjuvants in vaccines for human use (EMEA/CHMP/VEG/134716/2004), carcinogenicity studies are not required for final vaccine formulations, Adjuvants Systems and/or immunoenhancers.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 54Source ↗
Carcinogenicity timing
Not required for vaccines, adjuvant systems or immunoenhancers (WHO/EMA guidance)
“According to the WHO Guidelines on Nonclinical Evaluation of Vaccines (WHO, 2005), the EMEA Note for Guidance on Preclinical Pharmacological and Toxicological testing of Vaccines (CPMP/SWP/465/95) and the Guideline on adjuvants in vaccines for human use (EMEA/CHMP/VEG/134716/2004), carcinogenicity studies are not required for final vaccine formulations, Adjuvants Systems and/or immunoenhancers.”
✓ VerifiedEMA assessment report, p. 54Source ↗

Email me this as a cited memo

Tox package for Mosquirix, each with the regulator's own words, the page and a link. Ready to paste into a briefing document or send to your team.

Same question, other vaccines

Nuvaxovid

COVID-19 vaccine, recombinant spike protein nanoparticle, Matrix-M-adjuvanted · SARS-CoV-2 spike (nanoparticle)
Australia: Study 2019nCoV-101 Part 1, started May 2020

PreHevbrio

hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant), 3-antigen · HBsAg S/pre-S1/pre-S2 VLPs
Israel, Thailand and Singapore: legacy dose-ranging studies, one with a first-in-human part up to 20 µg

Arexvy

respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, adjuvanted (AS01E) · RSV preF3; TLR4 (AS01E adjuvant)
Not stated in public reviews

Cervarix

human papillomavirus bivalent (types 16, 18) vaccine, recombinant, AS04-adjuvanted · HPV 16/18 L1 VLPs; TLR4 (AS04 adjuvant)
Not stated in public reviews

Cyfendus

anthrax vaccine adsorbed, adjuvanted · B. anthracis PA; TLR9 (CpG 7909 adjuvant)
Not stated in public reviews

Fendrix

hepatitis B vaccine (rDNA), AS04C-adjuvanted · HBsAg VLPs; TLR4 (AS04C adjuvant)
Not stated in public reviews

Flublok

influenza vaccine, recombinant hemagglutinin · Influenza HA
Not stated in public reviews

Gardasil

human papillomavirus quadrivalent (types 6, 11, 16, 18) vaccine, recombinant · HPV 6/11/16/18 L1 VLPs
Not stated in public reviews

Gardasil 9

human papillomavirus 9-valent vaccine, recombinant · HPV 9-valent L1 VLPs
Not stated in public reviews

HBVaxPro

hepatitis B vaccine (rDNA) · HBsAg VLPs
Not stated in public reviews

Heplisav-B

hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant), adjuvanted · HBsAg; TLR9 (CpG 1018 adjuvant)
Not stated in public reviews

Shingrix

zoster vaccine recombinant, AS01B-adjuvanted · VZV glycoprotein E; TLR4 (AS01B adjuvant)
Not stated in public reviews

Summary across all 13 vaccines →