ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05683834Updated Apr 22, 2026

Trial Evaluating the Immunogenicity and Safety of an Adjuvanted Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Glycoprotein 350 Vaccine in EBV-seronegative Persons

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Matrix-M1 Adjuvant and EBV gp350-Ferritin Vaccine in Epstein-Barr Virus Infection, Infectious Mononucleosis and Herpesvirus, sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Completed at 2 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 25 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-22.

Primary conditionInfectious MononucleosisRegistry: Epstein-Barr Virus InfectionsReclassifiedWhy we changed it
Registry
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections — the first condition term the registry derived for this study.
ClinicalTrials.gg
Infectious Mononucleosis
Why
  1. The study's listed conditions name Infectious Mononucleosis, a narrower term within Epstein-Barr Virus Infections.
Confidence
High: the new condition is named in the study's own listed conditions. Of 351 hand-checked studies reclassified this way, 68% were exactly right and 84% in the right disease family; the registry's first term was right for 5% (measured 2026-10-21). How we classify →
Wrong?
Tell us the study's main condition →

Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
25
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 25 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Background:

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes most cases of infectious mononucleosis (mono). Mono can cause fatigue that lasts more than 6 months, and some people can have severe complications. EBV infection may also contribute to some cancers and autoimmune diseases. Currently, there are no approved therapies or vaccines for EBV infection.

Objective:

To test a vaccine against EBV.

Eligibility:

Healthy people aged 18 to 25 years.

Design:

Participants will be screened in 2 parts. They will have a blood test. If that test shows they have never had an EBV infection, they will have a second clinic visit. They will have a physical exam, with blood and urine tests. A cotton swab will be rubbed on their gums to collect saliva.

Participants will receive 2 injections into a shoulder muscle. Some will receive the EBV vaccine. Others will receive a placebo; this contains harmless salt water with no vaccine. Participants will not know which one they are getting. The 2 injections will be 30 days apart.

Participants will be asked to record any side effects or symptoms they have between visits. They can do this on paper or online.

Participants will return for a follow-up visit 60 days after the first injection. They will have follow-up visits by phone or telehealth after 5 and 8 months. They will return for a physical exam after 13 months. They may come back for an optional physical exam after 2 years.

Participants will come to the clinic if they become ill with an EBV infection during the study.

Read the detailed description

Study Description:

This is a multisite randomized, double-blinded phase 1/2 study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a 3-dose regimen of an adjuvanted EBV glycoprotein (gp) 350-Ferritin nanoparticle vaccine in EBV-seronegative persons. We hypothesize that the vaccine will be safe and induce a potent EBV gp350-specific immune response. Sixty EBV-seronegative participants will be randomized; 30 will receive the EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine and 30 will receive the placebo at Days 0, 30, and between 60 and 90. Participants will be followed for 1 year after the third dose with an option to follow for a second year.

Primary Objective:

To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an adjuvanted EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine administered to healthy EBV-seronegative adults.

Secondary Objectives:

  1. To evaluate the safety of the adjuvanted EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine administered to EBV-seronegative adults up to 30 days after the third dose of study vaccine.
  2. To preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the adjuvanted EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine administered to EBV-seronegative adults.

Exploratory Objectives:

  1. To compare safety and immunogenicity of an accelerated 3-dose vaccination schedule (Days 0, 30, and 60 to 90) with the traditional

    vaccination schedule evaluated in NCT04645147.

  2. To further evaluate the immunogenicity of the EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine.

Primary Endpoint:

Change in mean EBV neutralizing antibody from Day 0 to 30 days after the third dose of study vaccine in EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine recipients as compared with placebo.

Secondary Endpoints:

  1. Safety through 30 days after the third dose of the study vaccine:

    1. Solicited local and systemic reactions within 7 days after study vaccine administration.
    2. Unsolicited adverse events (AEs) through 30 days after the third dose of the study vaccine.
    3. Serious adverse events (SAEs) through 30 days after the third dose of the study vaccine.
  2. Reduction of viremia measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine recipients as compared with placebo in participants who become infected with EBV.
  3. Reduction of EBV infection as measured by new anti-EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA)-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G or IgM or new EBV viremia for up to 2 years post-vaccination as compared with placebo.
  4. Reduction of EBV-related infectious mononucleosis as defined by signs and symptoms consistent with infectious mononucleosis with laboratory evidence for new EBV infection for up to 2 years post-vaccination as compared with placebo.
  5. Time to EBV infection as measured by new anti EBV VCA IgG or IgM or new EBV viremia.
  6. Time to infectious mononucleosis as defined by signs and symptoms consistent with infectious mononucleosis with laboratory evidence for new EBV infection.

Exploratory Endpoints:

  1. Change in mean EBV neutralizing antibody from Day 0 to 30 days after the third dose of vaccine in EBV-seronegative vaccine recipients in the standard dosing regimen (Days 0, 30, and 180) vs accelerated (Days 0, 30, and 60 to 90).
  2. Safety through 30 days after the third dose of study vaccine in the standard dosing regimen (Days 0, 30, and 180) vs accelerated (Days 0, 30, and 60 to 90).

    • Solicited local and systemic reactions within 7 days after vaccination.
    • Unsolicited AEs through 30 days after the third dose of study vaccine.
    • SAEs through 30 days after the third dose of study vaccine.
  3. Increase in EBV gp350 IgG antibody in blood and/or EBV gp350 IgA antibody in saliva in vaccine recipients as compared with placebo.
  4. Increase in CD4+ T-cell response in study vaccine recipients from baseline (pre-vaccine) to 30 days after the third dose of vaccine as

compared with placebo in participants who become infected with EBV.

02

Conditions studied

  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infection
  • Infectious Mononucleosis
  • Herpesvirus

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Infectious Mononucleosis
  • Neutralizing Antibody
  • Immune Response
  • Herpesvirus
03

In context

Infectious Mononucleosis Reclassified

21 studies on the registry are indexed under Infectious Mononucleosis; 5 are open to participants now.

Browse Infectious Mononucleosis studies →

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is the lead sponsor of 2,446 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.

Of its 405 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 302 (75%) have results posted.

Compared within Infectious Mononucleosis, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Epstein-Barr Virus Infections. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 25 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

To be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all the following criteria:

  • Aged 18 to 25 years.
  • Able to provide .
  • Willing to allow samples and data to be stored for future secondary research.
  • Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the active phase of the study (approximately 18 months).
  • In good general health as evidenced by medical history, physical examination, and laboratory screening results.
  • Willing to forgo receipt of a licensed, in the 30 days before and 30 days after each dose of the study vaccine. Any FDA-approved or authorized inactivated and/or protein subunit, RNA, or DNA vaccine can be used >=14 days before or >=14 days after administration of the study vaccine.
  • within institutional normal limits, or if not, then assessed and deemed not by PI or designee.
  • White blood cell count and differential within institutional normal reference range, or if not, then deemed not clinically significant by PI or designee.
  • Total lymphocyte count (lymphocyte absolute) >800 cells/microliters.
  • count of 125,000 to 500,000/microliters.
  • \<1.25 x .
  • Participants who can get pregnant must agree to abstain from sexual activities that can result in pregnancy or use one of the following effective methods of , starting 30 days before the first dose of study vaccine through 60 days after the third dose:

    • Intrauterine device (IUD) or equivalent.
    • Hormonal contraceptive (eg, consistent, timely, and continuous use of contraceptive pill, patch, ring, implant, or injection that has reached full efficacy before the first dose of study agent). If the participant uses a contraceptive pill, patch, or ring, then a barrier method (eg, internal/external condom, cervical cap, or diaphragm plus spermicide) must also be used at the time of potentially reproductive sexual activity.
    • A hysterectomy and/or a bilateral tubal ligation or bilateral oophorectomy.
    • Barrier method (eg, internal/external condom, cervical cap, or diaphragm) plus spermicide used correctly during sexual intercourse.
    • A vasectomy in their monogamous sexual partner completed at least 6 months before the first dose of study vaccine.
    • Continuous abstinence.

Exclusion criteria

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

  • Pregnant or breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant while participating through 60 days after the third dose of study vaccine.
  • Has received any of the following:

    • More than 10 days of systemic (>=10 mg of prednisone or equivalent) within the 30 days prior to first dose of study agent.
    • More than 10 days of systemic medications, cytotoxic medications, or immunomodulating therapy within 180 days prior to first dose of study agent.
    • Blood products, including immunoglobulins, within 120 days prior to first dose of study agent.
    • Any within 30 days prior to first dose of study agent.
    • research agents within 30 days prior to first dose or planning to receive investigational products while on study.
    • Allergy treatment with antigen injections, unless on a maintenance schedule of shots no more frequently than once per month.
  • Has any of the following:

    • Febrile illness within 14 days of the first dose of study agent.
    • Body habitus such that identification of the deltoid muscle and/or administration of vaccine into the deltoid would be compromised or if body habitus would make study inclusion not in the best interest of the participant.
    • History of serious reactions to vaccines.
    • Hereditary, acquired, or idiopathic forms of angioedema.
    • Idiopathic urticaria within the past year.
    • Asthma that is not well-controlled or that required emergency care, urgent care, hospitalization, or intubation during the past 2 years, or that requires the use of oral or intravenous steroids.
    • Diabetes mellitus type 1 or type 2, excluding a history of gestational diabetes.
    • disease or immunodeficiency.
    • Bleeding disorder diagnosed by doctor (eg, factor deficiency, coagulopathy, or disorder requiring special precautions).
    • Significant bruising or bleeding difficulties with intramuscular injections or blood draws.
    • that is active or treated malignancy for which there is no reasonable assurance of sustained cure or malignancy that is likely to recur during the study period.
    • Seizure disorder other than a history of 1) febrile seizures, 2) seizures secondary to alcohol withdrawal more than 3 years ago, or 3) seizures that have not required treatment within the past 3 years.
    • Asplenia, functional asplenia, or any condition resulting in absence or removal of the spleen.
    • History of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
    • Alcohol or drug abuse or addiction.
    • infection.
    • Active or C infection.
    • Documented EBV infection.
  • Prior enrollment in an EBV vaccine clinical trial.
  • Any medical, psychiatric, or social condition that, in the judgement of the investigator, is a to protocol participation or impairs the participant s ability to give .

Co-enrollment guidelines:

Co-enrollment in other studies is restricted, other than enrollment on observational studies. Consideration for co-enrollment in trials evaluating the use of a licensed medication will require the approval of the PI or sponsor medical monitor (SMM). Study staff should be notified of co-enrollment on any other protocol as it may require the approval of the PI or SMM.

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(16)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Live vaccines

Vaccines made with a weakened form of the germ, such as measles–mumps–rubella (MMR), chickenpox and yellow fever. They can be risky when the immune system is weakened. Flu injections are not live; the nasal flu spray is.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

Platelets

Blood cells that help blood clot. Too few raises the risk of bleeding and bruising. A usual adult range is about 150–400 × 10⁹/L (150,000–400,000 per µL); each lab has its own reference range.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

ULN (upper limit of normal)

The top of the normal range for a blood test, as set by the laboratory that runs it. Each lab prints its own range next to your result.

“≤ 2.5 × ULN” means the result can be up to two and a half times that top value.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
25 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Placebo comparator
    Control

    The placebo will be delivered intramuscularly into the deltoid muscle at Days 0, 30, and between 60 and 90. Each dose will consist of 0.4mL normal saline.

    Other: Placebo Comparator

  • Experimental
    Interventional

    The gp350-Ferritin vaccine will be delivered intramuscularly into the deltoid muscle at Days 0, 30, and between 60 and 90. Each vaccine dose will consist of 50 micrograms of EBV gp350-Ferritin combined with 49 micrograms of Matrix-M1 adjuvant.

    Drug: Matrix-M1 Adjuvant · Drug: EBV gp350-Ferritin Vaccine

Interventions

  • Matrix-M1 is composed of 2 types of 40 nm-sized particles each with a different saponin fraction (fraction A and fraction B) combined with cholesterol and phospholipid.

  • DrugEBV gp350-Ferritin Vaccine

    The EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine is composed of Helicobacter pylori non-heme ferritin fused to EBV gp350 which self-assembles to form a nanoparticle. The vaccine is supplied in single-use vials at a concentration of 250 micrograms/mL in 1.7 mM KH2PO4, 5 mM Na2HPO4, 150 mM NaCl, 5% sucrose, pH 7.4 (diluent).

  • OtherPlacebo Comparator

    Normal Saline

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in mean EBV neutralizing antibody from Day 0 to 30 days after the third dose of study vaccine in EBV gp350 Ferritin vaccine recipients as compared with placebo.

    To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the adjuvanted EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine administered to healthy EBV-seronegative adults.

    Time frame: Day 90-120

Secondary outcomes

  1. Reduction in EBV infection as measured by new anti-EBV VCA IgG or IgM or new EBV viremia for up to 2 years post-vaccination as compared with placebo

    To preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the adjuvanted EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine administered to EBV seronegative adults.

    Time frame: Year 2

  2. Reduction of viremia measured by qPCR in EBV gp350 vaccine recipients as compared with placebo in participants who become infected with EBV

    To preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the adjuvanted EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine administered to EBV seronegative adults.

    Time frame: End of Study

  3. Reduction EBV related infectious mononucleosis as defined by signs and symptoms consistent with infectious mononucleosis with laboratory evidence for new EBV infection for up to 2 years post-vaccination as compared with placebo

    To preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the adjuvanted EBV gp350-Ferritin vaccine administered to EBV seronegative adults.

    Time frame: Year 2

  4. Safety through day 90-120 Solicited local and systemic reactions within 7 days after study vaccine administration Unsolicited AEs through 30 days after the third dose of the study vaccine SAEs through 30 days after the th...

    To evaluate the safety of the adjuvanted EBV gp350 Ferritin vaccine administered to EBV seronegative adults up to 30 days after the third dose of study vaccine.

    Time frame: Day 90-120

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
    Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
  • University of Minnesota
    Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Kanekiyo M, Bu W, Joyce MG, Meng G, Whittle JR, Baxa U, Yamamoto T, Narpala S, Todd JP, Rao SS, McDermott AB, Koup RA, Rossmann MG, Mascola JR, Graham BS, Cohen JI, Nabel GJ. Rational Design of an Epstein-Barr Virus Vaccine Targeting the Receptor-Binding Site. Cell. 2015 Aug 27;162(5):1090-100. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.07.043. Epub 2015 Aug 13. PubMed 26279189 ↗
  • Cohen JI. Epstein-barr virus vaccines. Clin Transl Immunology. 2015 Jan 23;4(1):e32. doi: 10.1038/cti.2014.27. eCollection 2015 Jan. PubMed 25671130 ↗
  • Cohen JI, Fauci AS, Varmus H, Nabel GJ. Epstein-Barr virus: an important vaccine target for cancer prevention. Sci Transl Med. 2011 Nov 2;3(107):107fs7. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002878. PubMed 22049067 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — De-identified individual patient data may be shared with the FDA, IRB and other regulatory bodies to ensure the safe and proper conduct of the study.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 22, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05683834
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jan 13, 2023
Start date
Sep 22, 2023
Primary completion
Apr 1, 2026
Completion
Apr 20, 2026
Last update
Apr 22, 2026

Study contacts

Jessica R Durkee-Shock, M.D.
principal investigator · National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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