SIDE EFFECTS
Clinical Trials Experience
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a vaccine cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another vaccine and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
A total of 9597 individuals 18 through 70 years of age received at least 1 dose of HEPLISAV-B in 5 clinical trials conducted in the United States, Canada, and Germany. Data from three of these trials are provided below.
Study 1 In Subjects 18 Through 55 Years Of Age
Study 1 was a randomized, observer-blind, active-controlled, multicenter study in Canada and Germany in which 1810 subjects received at least 1 dose of HEPLISAV-B and 605 subjects received at least 1 dose of Engerix-B® [Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant)]. Enrolled subjects had no history of hepatitis B vaccination or infection. HEPLISAV-B was given as a 2-dose regimen at 0 and 1 month followed by saline placebo at 6 months. Engerix-B was given at 0, 1, and 6 months. In the total study population, the mean age was 40 years; 46% of the subjects were men; 93% were white, 2% black, 3% Asian and 3% Hispanic; 26% were obese, 10% had hypertension, 8% had dyslipidemia, and 2% had diabetes mellitus. These demographic and baseline characteristics were similar in both vaccine groups.
Solicited Local and Systemic Adverse Reactions
Subjects were monitored for local and systemic adverse reactions using diary cards for a 7-day period starting on the day of vaccination. The percentages of subjects who reported local and systemic reactions are shown in Table 1.
Table 1
Study 1: Percent of Subjects Who Reported Local or Systemic Reactions Within 7 Days of Vaccination
|
HEPLISAV-B
% |
Engerix-B
% |
Post-Dose* |
Post-Dose* |
Reaction |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Local |
N=1810 |
N=1798 |
N=605 |
N=603 |
N=598 |
Injection Site Pain |
38.5 |
34.8 |
33.6 |
24.7 |
20.2 |
Injection Site Redness† |
4.1 |
2.9 |
0.5 |
1.0 |
0.7 |
Injection Site Swelling† |
2.3 |
1.5 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Systemic |
|
|
|
|
|
Fatigue |
17.4 |
13.8 |
16.7 |
11.9 |
10.0 |
Headache |
16.9 |
12.8 |
19.2 |
12.3 |
9.5 |
Malaise |
9.2 |
7.6 |
8.9 |
6.5 |
6.4 |
|
N=1784 |
N=1764 |
N=596 |
N=590 |
N=561 |
Fever‡ |
1.1 |
1.5 |
1.8 |
1.7 |
1.8 |
Note: only subjects having data are included. Clinical trial number: NCT00435812
*HEPLISAV-B was given as a 2-dose regimen at 0 and 1 month followed by saline placebo at 6 months. Engerix-B was given at 0, 1, and 6 months
† Redness and swelling ≥ 2.5 cm.
‡ Oral temperature ≥ 100.4°F (38.0°C). |
Unsolicited Adverse Events
Unsolicited adverse events within 28 days following any injection, including placebo, were reported by 42.0% of HEPLISAV-B recipients and 41.3% of Engerix-B recipients.
Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)
Subjects were monitored for serious adverse events for 7 months after the first dose of vaccine. The percentage of subjects reporting serious adverse events was 1.5% in the HEPLISAV-B group and 2.1% in the Engerix-B group. No acute myocardial infarctions were reported. No deaths were reported.
Potentially Immune-mediated Adverse Events
Potentially immune-mediated adverse events that occurred within 7 months of the first dose of vaccine were reported in 0.2% (n = 4) of HEPLISAV-B recipients and 0.7% (n = 4) of Engerix-B recipients. The following events were reported in the HEPLISAV-B group in one subject each: granulomatosis with polyangiitis, lichen planus, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and Grave’s disease. The following events were reported in the Engerix-B group in one subject each: Bell’s palsy, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and Grave’s disease. One additional Engerix-B recipient with a history of mixed connective tissue disease had p-ANCA-positive vasculitis.
Study 2 In Subjects 40 Through 70 Years Of Age
Study 2 was a randomized, observer-blind, active-controlled, multicenter study in Canada and the United States in which 1968 subjects received at least 1 dose of HEPLISAV-B and 481 subjects received at least 1 dose of Engerix-B. HEPLISAV-B was given as a 2-dose regimen at 0 and 1 month followed by saline placebo at 6 months. Enrolled subjects had no history of hepatitis B vaccination or infection. Engerix-B was given at 0, 1, and 6 months. In the total population, the mean age was 54 years; 48% of subjects were men; 82% were white, 15% black, 1% Asian and 6% Hispanic; 44% were obese, 30% had hypertension, 30% had dyslipidemia, and 8% had diabetes mellitus. These demographic and baseline characteristics were similar in both vaccine groups.
Solicited Local and Systemic Adverse Reactions
Subjects were monitored for local and systemic adverse reactions using diary cards for a 7-day period starting on the day of vaccination. The percentages of subjects who experienced local and systemic reactions are shown in Table 2.
Table 2
Study 2: Percent of Subjects Who Reported Local or Systemic Reactions Within 7 Days of Vaccination
|
HEPLISAV-B
% |
Engerix-B
% |
Post-Dose* |
Post-Dose* |
Reaction |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Local |
N=1952 |
N=1905 |
N=477 |
N=464 |
N=448 |
Injection Site Pain |
23.7 |
22.8 |
18.4 |
15.9 |
13.8 |
Injection Site Redness† |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
Injection Site Swelling† |
0.9 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
Systemic |
|
|
|
|
|
Fatigue |
12.6 |
10.8 |
12.8 |
12.1 |
9.4 |
Headache |
11.8 |
8.1 |
11.9 |
9.5 |
8.5 |
Malaise |
7.7 |
7.0 |
8.6 |
7.1 |
5.1 |
Myalgia |
8.5 |
6.4 |
9.6 |
8.0 |
4.5 |
|
N=1923 |
N=1887 |
N=472 |
N=459 |
N=438 |
Fever‡ |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
Note: only subjects having data are included. Clinical Trial Number: NCT01005407
*HEPLISAV-B was given as a 2-dose regimen at 0 and 1 month followed by saline placebo at 6 months. Engerix-B was given at 0, 1, and 6 months
† Redness and swelling ≥2.5 cm
‡ Oral temperature ≥ 100.4°F (38.0°C). |
Unsolicited Adverse Events
Unsolicited adverse events within 28 days following any injection, including placebo, were reported by 35.4% of HEPLISAV-B recipients and 36.2% of Engerix-B recipients.
Serious Adverse Events
Subjects were monitored for serious adverse events for 12 months after the first dose of vaccine. The percentage of subjects reporting serious adverse events was 3.9% in the HEPLISAV-B group and 4.8% in the Engerix-B group. Acute myocardial infarction occurred in 0.1% (n=2) of HEPLISAV-B recipients and 0.2% (n=1) of Engerix-B recipients.
Autoimmune Adverse Events
Subjects were monitored for the occurrence of new-onset potentially immune-mediated adverse events for 12 months after the first dose of vaccine. Events were adjudicated as to whether they were autoimmune by an external group of experts blinded to treatment assignment. As determined by the adjudicators, new-onset autoimmune adverse events were reported in 0.2% (n=3) of HEPLISAV-B recipients: two subjects with hypothyroidism and one subject with vitiligo. None of these events was considered related to vaccination by the expert group. No new-onset autoimmune adverse events were reported in the Engerix-B group. Although not referred to the external group of experts, one HEPLISAV-B recipient was determined to have Tolosa-Hunt syndrome which is presumed to have an immune-mediated etiology. This event was not considered related to vaccination.
Deaths
One subject (0.05%) died of a pulmonary embolism in the HEPLISAV-B group and 1 subject (0.2%) died of heart failure in the Engerix-B group. Neither death was considered related to vaccination.
Study 3 In Subjects 18 Through 70 Years Of Age
Study 3 was a randomized, observer-blind, active-controlled, multicenter study in the United States in which 5587 subjects received at least 1 dose of HEPLISAV-B and 2781 subjects received at least 1 dose of Engerix-B. Enrolled subjects had no history of hepatitis B vaccination or infection. HEPLISAV-B was given as a 2-dose regimen at 0 and 1 month followed by saline placebo at 6 months. Engerix-B was given at 0, 1, and 6 months. In the total study population, the mean age was 50 years; 51% were men; 71% were white, 26% black, 1% Asian, and 9% Hispanic; 48% were obese, 36% had hypertension, 32% had dyslipidemia, and 14% had type 2 diabetes mellitus. These demographic and baseline characteristics were similar in both vaccine groups.
Unsolicited Medically-Attended Adverse Events
Subjects were monitored for unsolicited medically-attended adverse events, those for which a subject sought medical care, for 13 months after the first dose of vaccine. Overall, medically-attended adverse events were reported in 46.0% of HEPLISAV-B recipients and 46.2% of Engerix-B recipients. Herpes zoster was reported in 0.7% of HEPLISAV-B recipients and 0.3% of Engerix-B recipients. Unsolicited medically-attended adverse events within 28 days following any injection, including placebo, were reported by 20.1% of both HEPLISAV-B and Engerix-B recipients.
Serious Adverse Events
Subjects were monitored for serious adverse events for 13 months after the first dose of vaccine. The percentage of subjects who reported serious adverse events was 6.2% in the HEPLISAV-B group and 5.3% in the Engerix-B group. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was reported in 0.25% (n=14) of HEPLISAV-B recipients and 0.04% (n=1) of Engerix-B recipients. An analysis of serious adverse events likely representing myocardial infarction (MI) was conducted using the standard Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) query (SMQ) for MI. This analysis identified a total of 19 HEPLISAV-B subjects (0.3%) and 3 Engerix-B subjects (0.1%) with events included in the SMQ for MI (these events include the 15 reports of AMI). Additional evidence, including information on temporal relationship and baseline risk factors, does not support a causal relationship between HEPLISAV-B administration and AMI. Among the 19 events identified as MI in HEPLISAV-B recipients, three occurred within 14 days, nine occurred within 53-180 days, and seven occurred more than 180 days following any dose of HEPLISAV-B. Among the three events identified as MI in Engerix-B recipients, one each occurred 13, 115, and 203 days following any dose. All 19 HEPLISAV-B recipients and 3 Engerix-B recipients reported one or more baseline risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Autoimmune Adverse Events
Subjects were monitored for the occurrence of new-onset potentially immune-mediated adverse events for 13 months after the first dose of vaccine. Events were adjudicated as to whether they were autoimmune by an external group of experts who were blinded to treatment assignment. As determined by the adjudicators, new-onset autoimmune adverse events were reported in 0.1% (n=4) of HEPLISAV-B recipients [one each of: alopecia areata, polymyalgia rheumatica, ulcerative colitis, and autoimmune thyroiditis (with
concurrent diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma)]. None of these events was considered to be related to vaccination by the external experts. No new-onset autoimmune adverse events were reported in the Engerix-B group.
Deaths
During the study death was reported in 25 subjects (0.4%) in the HEPLISAV-B group and 7 subjects (0.3%) in the Engerix-B group. No death was considered related to vaccination.
DRUG INTERACTIONS
Use With Immune Globulin
There are no data to assess the concomitant use of HEPLISAV-B with immune globulin. When concomitant administration of HEPLISAV-B and immune globulin is required, they should be given with different syringes at different injection sites.
Interference With Laboratory Tests
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) derived from hepatitis B vaccines has been transiently detected in blood samples following vaccination. Serum HBsAg detection may not have diagnostic value within 28 days after receipt of HEPLISAV-B.