A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Inactivated Varicella-zoster Vaccine (VZV) as a Preventative Treatment for Herpes Zoster (HZ) and HZ-related Complications in Participants Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplants (HCTs) (V212-001)

Clinical criteria for suspected Herpes-Zoster (HZ) cases were the development of a papular or vesicular rash with a dermatomal or generalized distribution, or in the absence of a rash, clinical suspicion of VZV infection with or without the detection of VZV in diagnostic specimens from blood, cerebrospinal fluid, lung, liver, or other organ. All suspected cases of HZ were subjected to adjudication by the Clinical Adjudication Committee (CAC). Case confirmation was based on skin lesion polymerase chain reaction, if available, or by adjudication of the clinical case description by the CAC, conducted according to the CAC Standard Operations Procedure.

Time frame: Up to approximately 5 years

Population: The population included participants who received ≥1 dose and had auto-HCT. To comply with regulatory requests, results for the V212 consistency lots were combined for the efficacy analyses, and the V212 High Antigen Lot was not included in the efficacy analyses for concerns that its inclusion would inflate efficacy estimates.

An adverse event (AE) is defined as any unfavorable and unintended change in the structure, function, or chemistry of the body temporally associated with the use of the sponsor's product, whether or not considered related to the use of the product. A serious adverse event (SAE) is an AE that results in death, is life threatening, results in a persistent or significant disability or incapacity, results in or prolongs an existing hospitalization, is a congenital anomaly or birth defect, is a cancer, is an overdose, or is another important medical event.

Time frame: Up to 28 days after vaccination 4 (up to 118 days)

Population: The population included all participants who received ≥1 dose and had safety follow-up. To comply with regulatory requests, results for all lots of V212 were combined in the primary and secondary safety analyses. One participant randomized to placebo was cross-treated; this participant was excluded from the safety analyses.

The composite efficacy endpoint of the incidence of HZ complications was defined as the occurrence of any of the following during the study: hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization due to HZ, disseminated HZ (including disseminated HZ rash or VZV viremia), visceral HZ, ophthalmic HZ, neurological impairment due to HZ, or administration of intravenous acyclovir therapy for treatment of HZ.

Time frame: Up to 6 months after onset of HZ (up to approximately 5 years)

Population: The population included participants who received ≥1 dose and had auto-HCT. To comply with regulatory requests, results for the V212 consistency lots were combined for the efficacy analyses, and the V212 High Antigen Lot was not included in the efficacy analyses for concerns that its inclusion would inflate efficacy estimates.

Moderate to severe HZ-associated pain was defined as 2 or more occurrences of a score 3 or greater (0-to-10 scale, where 0 is no pain and 10 is pain as bad as you can imagine) on the Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI) at any time from HZ onset through the end of the 6 month HZ-follow-up period.

Time frame: Up to 6 months after onset of HZ (up to approximately 5 years)

Population: The population included participants who received ≥1 dose and had auto-HCT. To comply with regulatory requests, results for the V212 consistency lots were combined for the efficacy analyses, and the V212 High Antigen Lot was not included in the efficacy analyses for concerns that its inclusion would inflate efficacy estimates.

Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN) was defined as pain in the area of the HZ rash with pain in the last 24 hours scored as 3 or greater (on a 0 to 10 scale, where 0 is no pain and 10 is pain as bad as you can imagine) on the ZBPI that persists or appears greater than or equal to 90 days after HZ rash onset.

Time frame: Up to 6 months after the onset of HZ rash (up to approximately 5 years)

Population: The population included participants who received ≥1 dose and had auto-HCT. To comply with regulatory requests, results for the V212 consistency lots were combined for the efficacy analyses, and the V212 High Antigen Lot was not included in the efficacy analyses for concerns that its inclusion would inflate efficacy estimates.

An AE is defined as any unfavorable and unintended change in the structure, function, or chemistry of the body temporally associated with the use of the sponsor's product, whether or not considered related to the use of the product. A serious adverse event (SAE) is an AE that results in death, is life threatening, results in a persistent or significant disability or incapacity, results in or prolongs an existing hospitalization, is a congenital anomaly or birth defect, is a cancer, is an overdose, or is another important medical event.

Time frame: Up to 28 days after vaccination 4 (up to 118 days)

Population: The population included all participants who received ≥1 dose and had safety follow-up. To comply with regulatory requests, results for all lots of V212 were combined in the primary and secondary safety analyses. One participant randomized to placebo was cross-treated; this participant was excluded from the safety analyses.