Publications by authors named "Jerome Pierson"

rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP and Ad26.ZEBOV, MVA-BN-Filo are WHO-prequalified vaccination regimens against Ebola virus disease (EVD). Challenges associated with measuring long-term clinical protection warrant the evaluation of immune response kinetics after vaccination.

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Background: Questions remain concerning the rapidity of immune responses and the durability and safety of vaccines used to prevent Zaire Ebola virus disease.

Methods: We conducted two randomized, placebo-controlled trials - one involving adults and one involving children - to evaluate the safety and immune responses of three vaccine regimens against Zaire Ebola virus disease: Ad26.ZEBOV followed by MVA-BN-Filo 56 days later (the Ad26-MVA group), rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP followed by placebo 56 days later (the rVSV group), and rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP followed by rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP 56 days later (the rVSV-booster group).

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Introduction: The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in 2014-2016 in West Africa was the largest on record and provided an opportunity for large clinical trials and accelerated efforts to develop an effective and safe preventative vaccine. Multiple questions regarding the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of EVD vaccines remain unanswered. To address these gaps in the evidence base, the Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccines (PREVAC) trial was designed.

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Article Synopsis
  • A clinical trial was conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four experimental therapies for Ebola virus disease (EVD) during an outbreak that started in August 2018.
  • 681 patients were randomly assigned to receive either ZMapp, remdesivir, MAb114, or REGN-EB3, with the primary endpoint being mortality at 28 days.
  • Results indicated MAb114 and REGN-EB3 significantly reduced mortality compared to ZMapp and remdesivir, leading to a recommendation to continue only with these two therapies for the remainder of the trial.
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The U.S. response to the Ebola epidemic resulted in many federal agencies assessing their ability to respond to global threats and improve the efficiency of humanitarian efforts.

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Clinical trials are challenging endeavors. Planning and implementing an investigational vaccine trial in Liberia, in the midst of an Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic that World Health Organization classified a public health emergency of international concern, presented extraordinary challenges. Normally, years of preparation and a litany of tasks lay the groundwork for a successful, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial focused on safety and efficacy.

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The paradigm for the use of investigational drugs in public health emergencies has been recently tested to prevent and treat highly infectious and lethal diseases. Examples include the successful implementation of vaccine and therapeutic clinical trials during the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa. On the other end of the spectrum was the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of peramivir in the treatment of H1N1 influenza virus that did not provide an opportunity to collect data or understand the effectiveness of the EUA program.

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Objective: This article describes the establishment of a research pharmacy to support the Partnership for Research on Ebola Vaccines in Liberia (PREVAIL) vaccine study for Ebola virus disease.

Setting: This article describes the establishment of the pharmacy element to support the overall research program during an Ebola outbreak in Monrovia, Liberia, in 2014 and 2015.

Practice Innovation: The need for the rapid establishment of infrastructure to support the Liberia-United States joint clinical research partnership in response to the emerging Ebola virus disease provided the opportunity for collaboration among Liberian and U.

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Influenza infection results in substantial morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, including those who are immunocompromised or pregnant. Antiviral therapy likely provides considerable benefit to these patients, but few studies have been successfully conducted in these high-risk populations, and no drugs are specifically licensed for treating these subgroups. One of the key challenges facing novel antiviral drug development for influenza is determining the appropriate efficacy end points that would enable rapid regulatory approval for drug use in seriously ill patients, for whom risk-benefit assessments differ from those with uncomplicated illness.

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