Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a vaccine cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of another vaccine, and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. There is the possibility that broad use of HIBERIX could reveal adverse reactions not observed in clinical trials.
Across clinical trials, common solicited adverse events (≥20%) were pain and redness at the injection site, irritability, drowsiness, fever, loss of appetite, fussiness, and restlessness.
Study 1: In a randomized, controlled clinical trial conducted in the US, children were vaccinated with HIBERIX (N = 2,963), a US-licensed monovalent Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Control PRP-T) (Sanofi Pasteur SA) (N = 520), or a US-licensed combined Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed, Inactivated Poliovirus and Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (DTaP-IPV/Hib) (Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.) (N = 520) at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. HIBERIX and Control PRP-T (Sanofi Pasteur SA) were administered concomitantly with PEDIARIX® (DTaP-HBV-IPV) [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed, Hepatitis B (Recombinant) and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine] and Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13) (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.) with Doses 1, 2, and 3 and ROTARIX® [Rotavirus Vaccine, Live, Oral] with Doses 1 and 2. DTaP-IPV/Hib was administered concomitantly with PCV13 and ENGERIX-B® [Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant)] with Doses 1, 2, and 3 and ROTARIX with Doses 1 and 2. If a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine was received, ENGERIX-B was given with Doses 1 and 3. In the total population, 51.2% were male; 61% were white, 8% were Asian, 9% were black, and 22% were other racial/ethnic groups.
In 7 additional clinical studies, 1,008 children received HIBERIX as a booster dose following primary vaccination with either HIBERIX (N = 530), Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Control PRP-T) (Sanofi Pasteur SA) (N = 235), Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Merck & Co., Inc.) (N = 26), or Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.) (no longer licensed in the US, N = 217). None of the studies included a comparator group that received a booster dose with a US-licensed Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine. Studies were conducted in Europe, Canada, and Latin America. Across these studies, the mean age of subjects at the time of booster vaccination with HIBERIX ranged from 16 to 19 months. At the time of vaccination, 172 (17.1%) subjects were 11 to 14 months of age, 642 (63.7%) subjects were 15 to 18 months of age, and 194 (19.2%) subjects were 19 to 25 months of age. Approximately half of the subjects were male. Among subjects for whom information on race/ethnicity was available, nearly all subjects were white.
In these 7 studies, HIBERIX was administered concomitantly with non-US formulations (containing 2.5 mg 2-phenoxyethanol per dose as preservative) of one of the following US-licensed vaccines: INFANRIX® (DTaP) [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Adsorbed], KINRIX® (DTaP-IPV) [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine], or PEDIARIX (DTaP-HBV-IPV). In the studies, DTaP-IPV and DTaP-HBV-IPV were administered in dosing regimens not approved in the US. Some subjects received DTaP-HBV (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, not licensed in US) concomitantly with HIBERIX.
Solicited Adverse Events
The reported frequencies of solicited local and general adverse events from Study 1 are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Percentage of Children with Solicited Local and General Adverse Events within 4 Days of Primary Series Vaccinationa (at 2, 4, and 6 Months of Age) with HIBERIXb, Control PRP-Tb, or DTaP-IPV/Hibc, Total Vaccinated Cohortd
Adverse Events | HIBERIX % | Control PRP-T % | DTaP-IPV/Hib % |
Dose | Dose | Dose |
1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Locale | | | | | | | | | |
N | 2,828 | 2,668 | 2,553 | 498 | 481 | 463 | 492 | 469 | 443 |
Pain | 49.4 | 45.1 | 42.8 | 57.2 | 53.2 | 48.2 | 58.1 | 50.1 | 48.5 |
Pain, grade 3f | 3.9 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 9.0 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 8.9 | 3.2 | 2.7 |
Redness | 18.7 | 25.4 | 29.4 | 23.5 | 32.0 | 29.6 | 25.6 | 30.7 | 37.0 |
Redness, >20 mm | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
Swelling | 13.0 | 15.4 | 18.7 | 18.5 | 21.8 | 19.7 | 19.5 | 23.7 | 23.7 |
Swelling, >20 mm | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
General | | | | | | | | | |
N | 2,830 | 2,669 | 2,553 | 499 | 480 | 463 | 492 | 469 | 443 |
Irritability | 68.9 | 70.4 | 67.1 | 76.4 | 71.0 | 67.2 | 73.0 | 66.7 | 69.3 |
Irritability, grade 3g | 4.1 | 6.4 | 4.8 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 4.5 | 3.2 |
Drowsiness | 59.9 | 54.1 | 49.3 | 65.7 | 55.6 | 49.5 | 60.6 | 51.8 | 49.7 |
Drowsiness, grade 3h | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
Loss of appetite | 28.7 | 28.3 | 27.6 | 33.3 | 31.5 | 27.2 | 33.5 | 24.3 | 24.2 |
Loss of appetite, grade 3i | 0.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
Fever | 13.7 | 19.2 | 18.7 | 16.4 | 18.8 | 16.2 | 11.6 | 10.9 | 17.8 |
Fever, grade 3j | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
- N = All subjects for whom safety data were available.
- a Within 4 days of vaccination defined as day of vaccination and the next 3 days.
- b Each dose (Doses 1, 2, and 3) of HIBERIX or Control PRP-T (Sanofi Pasteur SA) was concomitantly administered with PEDIARIX (DTaP-HBV-IPV) and PCV13. Doses 1 and 2 were concomitantly administered with ROTARIX.
- c Each dose (Doses 1, 2, and 3) of DTaP-IPV/Hib was concomitantly administered with PCV13 and ENGERIX-B with Doses 1, 2, and 3 and ROTARIX with Doses 1 and 2. If a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine was received, ENGERIX-B was given with Doses 1 and 3.
- d Study 1: NCT01000974.
- e Local reactions at the injection site for HIBERIX, Control PRP-T, or DTaP-IPV/Hib.
- f Grade 3 pain defined as cried when limb was moved/spontaneously painful.
- g Grade 3 irritability defined as crying that could not be comforted/prevented normal activity.
- h Grade 3 drowsiness defined as prevented normal daily activity.
- i Grade 3 loss of appetite defined as did not eat at all.
- j Fever defined as ≥100.4°F (≥38.0°C) rectally; Grade 3 fever defined as >103.1°F (>39.5°C) rectally.
In an open-label, multicenter study conducted in Germany (Study 2), 371 children received a booster dose of HIBERIX administered concomitantly with DTaP-HBV-IPV. The mean age at the time of vaccination was 16 months. Subjects in this study had previously received a primary series with either HIBERIX (N = 92), Control PRP-T (Sanofi Pasteur SA) (N = 96), or Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine (Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc.) (no longer licensed in the US) (N = 183). All subjects previously received 3 doses of DTaP-HBV-IPV. The reported frequencies of solicited local and general adverse events are presented in Table 2.
Table 2. Percentage of Children with Solicited Local and General Adverse Events within 4 Days of Booster Vaccinationa (Dose 4) with HIBERIXb Coadministered with DTaP-HBV-IPVc, Intent-to-Treat Cohort (N = 371)Adverse Events | % Any | % Grade 3 |
Locald | | |
Redness | 24.5 | 2.4e |
Pain | 20.5 | 1.1f |
Swelling | 14.8 | 2.2e |
General | | |
Feverg | 34.8 | 3.8 |
Fussiness | 25.9 | 0.8h |
Loss of appetite | 22.9 | 0.8i |
Restlessness | 21.8 | 0.5i |
Sleepiness | 19.9 | 1.1i |
Diarrhea | 14.6 | 0.8i |
Vomiting | 4.9 | 0.5i |
- N = All subjects for whom safety data were available.
- a Within 4 days of vaccination defined as day of vaccination and the next 3 days.
- b In this study, 92 subjects previously received 3 doses of HIBERIX, 96 subjects previously received 3 doses of a Control PRP-T (Sanofi Pasteur SA), and 183 subjects previously received 3 doses of a Haemophilus b Conjugate Vaccine that is no longer licensed in the US.
- c In this study, DTaP-HBV-IPV was given to subjects who previously received 3 doses of DTaP-HBV-IPV. In the US, PEDIARIX is approved for use as a 3-dose primary series; use as a fourth consecutive dose is not approved in the US.
- d Local reactions at the injection site for HIBERIX.
- e Grade 3 redness or swelling defined as >20 mm.
- f Grade 3 pain defined as causing crying when limb moved.
- g Fever defined as ≥100.4°F (≥38.0°C) rectally or ≥99.5°F (≥37.5°C) axillary, oral, or tympanic; Grade 3 fever defined as >103.1°F (>39.5°C) rectally or >102.2°F (>39.0°C) axillary, oral, or tympanic.
- h Grade 3 fussiness defined as persistent crying and could not be comforted.
- i Grade 3 for these symptoms defined as preventing normal daily activity.
Serious Adverse Events
In Study 1, one of 2,963 subjects who received HIBERIX and coadministered vaccines given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age experienced a SAE which was in temporal association with vaccination and had no alternative plausible causes (convulsion on Day 14 after Dose 1).
In the 7 additional studies, two of 1,008 subjects reported a serious adverse event that occurred in the 31-day period following booster immunization with HIBERIX. One subject developed bilateral pneumonia 9 days post-vaccination and one subject experienced asthenia following accidental drug ingestion 18 days post-vaccination.