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CompletedNCT04818281COVID-19Updated May 25, 2022

Study of a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Virus-like Particle (VLP) Vaccine in Healthy Adults

A Phase 1 interventional study of SARS-CoV-2 VLP Vaccine and Placebo in Covid19, sponsored by Ihsan GURSEL, PhD, Prof.. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 59 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-05-25.

Sponsored by Ihsan GURSEL, PhD, Prof. · Phase 1, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
38
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 59 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a VLP SARS-CoV-2 vaccine study of a vaccine developed in Turkey and manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) requirements. Preclinical toxicology studies on experimental animals are to be concluded. The purpose of this Phase I study is to examine the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the protective VLP vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, which will be administered by a double-blind, randomized method, in two different doses (low dose and high dose).

Read the detailed description

This phase I study is designed as double-blinded, randomised, placebo controlled, three-armed study composed of two different dose arms of protective VLP vaccine (harboring M, N, E, and hexapro modified S proteins of SARS-CoV-2 virus) against SARS-CoV-2 in dose escalations (first low dose group, followed by high dose group) and placebo arm. Each dose of vaccine will be defined as a cohort in itself, with vaccine administration to 12 participants and placebo administration to 6 participants. After completion of low-dose group, decision of switch to high-dose will be taken by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee and study will continue accordingly.

The study will be completed in 12 months.

All injections will be done subcutaneously.

02

Conditions studied

  • Covid19

Keywords

  • Virus-like Particles harboring S, M, N, E antigens
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • K3-CpG ODN
  • Alum
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Ihsan GURSEL, PhD, Prof. is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 59 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

To be eligible for the study, each participant must satisfy all the following criteria:

  1. Healthy participants between 18-59 years of age,
  2. Sign an informed consent document,
  3. Negative immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody for COVID-19,
  4. Negative quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) SARS-CoV-2 results of nasopharyngeal/sputum samples,
  5. Able to comply with the study protocol during the study period,
  6. Negative tests for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV),
  7. Body temperature \<37.2 C,
  8. Body mass index 18-35 kg/m2,
  9. Normal laboratory levels of whole blood count, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total bilirubin, urea, creatinine, and fasting blood glucose,
  10. Good general health (no known disease in the history and physical examination within 14 days prior to the enrolment),
  11. Female participants who are not pregnant or who will be able to have appropriate contraception methods within 30 days prior to vaccine injection and within 6 months after vaccination,
  12. Male participants who will be able to have appropriate contraception methods for 6 months after vaccination,

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants with any of the following criteria will be excluded:

  1. History of seizure, encephalopathy or psychosis,
  2. History of allergic reactions to any known vaccine or to any component of the study vaccine,
  3. Pregnant, breastfeeding or positive pregnancy test or planning to conceive within 6 months,
  4. Active infection signs or body temperature >37.2 C,
  5. History of SARS-CoV-2 infection,
  6. Severe cardiovascular disorders (arrhythmia, conduction disorders, history of myocardial infarction, uncontrolled hypertension),
  7. Severe chronic disorders (asthma, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders...etc),
  8. Congenital or acquired angioedema,
  9. Diagnosis of immunodeficiency,
  10. Diagnosis of bleeding diathesis,
  11. Use of immunosuppressive treatment, anti-allergic treatment, cytotoxic treatment, inhaler corticosteroids (allergic rhinitis or topical steroid ointments are excluded),
  12. Those who received blood and blood product transfusions in the last 6 months,
  13. Those on any vaccine program or experimental medication within 1 month prior to the study,
  14. History of any live vaccine administration within 1 month prior to the study,
  15. History of any inactive vaccine administration within 1 month prior to the study,
  16. Use of active tuberculosis treatment,
  17. According to the investigator's evaluation, those who have any condition (medical, psychological, social, etc.) that may impair the patient's compliance with the study will be excluded from the study.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
38 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Low-Dose Group (Group A)

    12 participants will receive 10 µg VLP vaccine (adjuvanted with alum and CpGODN-K3)

    Biological: SARS-CoV-2 VLP Vaccine

  • Experimental
    High-Dose Group (Group B)

    12 participants will receive 40 µg VLP vaccine (adjuvanted with alum and CpGODN-K3)

    Biological: SARS-CoV-2 VLP Vaccine

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo Group

    12 participants will receive 1 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl)

    Biological: Placebo

Interventions

  • BiologicalSARS-CoV-2 VLP Vaccine

    VLP adjuvanted vaccine

  • BiologicalPlacebo

    0.9% NaCl

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Acute adverse events (AEs)

    Frequency of acute AEs in all dosage groups

    Time frame: 24 hours

  2. Solicited local and systemic adverse events (AEs)

    Frequency of local and systemic AEs in all dosage groups

    Time frame: 6 days

  3. Unsolicited local and systemic adverse events (AEs)

    Frequency of local and systemic AEs in all dosage groups

    Time frame: 28 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Specific antibody (IgG) response

    IgG type antibody titers against anti-Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 (by ELISA)

    Time frame: Before booster dose administration, on Day 14-21-28 and at the end of Month 3 and Month 6 after booster dose

  2. Neutralizing antibody response

    Neutralizing antibody titer against anti-Spike protein by virus neutralization method developed against SARS-CoV-2

    Time frame: Before booster dose administration, on Day 14-21-28 and at the end of Month 3 and Month 6 after booster dose

  3. Cellular immune response (IL-4)

    ELISPOT: Interleukin-4 (IL4) positive cell level of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with rec. S protein

    Time frame: Before booster dose administration, on Day 14-21-28 and at the end of Month 3 and Month 6 after booster dose

  4. Cellular immune response (IFN-γ)

    ELISPOT: Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) positive cell level of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with rec. S protein

    Time frame: Before booster dose administration, on Day 14-21-28 and at the end of Month 3 and Month 6 after booster dose

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Dr. Abdurahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital Phase I Clinical Study Center
    Ankara, 06200, Turkey
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 25, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04818281
Lead sponsor
Ihsan GURSEL, PhD, Prof.
Collaborators
Dr Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, MonitorCRO, Nobel Pharmaceuticals
Responsible party
Ihsan GURSEL, PhD, Prof. (PhD, Prof, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Mar 26, 2021
Start date
Mar 27, 2021
Primary completion
Dec 29, 2021
Completion
Dec 29, 2021
Last update
May 25, 2022

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in May 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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