Influenza
Conditions
Keywords
Influenza, Antiviral Agents
Brief summary
Approximately one billion cases of seasonal influenza occur annually. Of these, 3 to 5 million illnesses are severe and responsible for up to 650,000 deaths per year (WHO 2025). Yearly administration of an influenza vaccine for the prevention of influenza is currently recommended. However, the real-world vaccine effectiveness varied from 10% to 60% in the general population across the years of 2004 to 2024, with effectiveness in most years below 50% (CDC 2025) and decreasing to as low as 5% in immunocompromised individuals (Hughes 2021). The goal of this study is to learn whether MK-1406 (CD388) can help prevent the flu in people who are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from influenza. Researchers want to find out if MK-1406 dosed at a single study visit can provide protection against influenza compared with placebo. The study will include adolescents and adults who may be more vulnerable to complications from influenza because of their age, health conditions, or weakened immune systems. Researchers will also evaluate the safety of MK-1406 and how well participants tolerate the study medicine.
Detailed description
This is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of MK-1406 (CD388) administered as a single dose via 3 subcutaneous (SC) injections in adult and adolescent participants who are at higher risk of developing complications from influenza.
Interventions
COMBINATION_PRODUCTMK-1406
MK-1406 liquid for injection administered subcutaneously (SC)
COMBINATION_PRODUCTPlacebo
MK-1406 matched liquid for SC injection
Sponsors
Cidara Therapeutics Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. (Rahway, New Jersey USA)
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following: Primary Stratum A (non-immunocompromised participants who have chronic stable medical conditions) and Primary Stratum B (participants who are immunocompromised either due to underlying disease or receipt of immunosuppressive medications) * Has negative rapid antigen tests for influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prior to dosing at Day 1 * Weight is ≥ 40 kg Primary Stratum A only * Has a history of pulmonary disease * Has moderate to severe asthma, as defined by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA 2025) * Has existing cardiac disease * Has insulin-dependent diabetes * Has moderate renal impairment * Is ≥ 65 years of age at the time of randomization but does not meet any of the above criteria for Primary Stratum A, and is otherwise healthy Primary Stratum B only * Has a solid tumor diagnosis AND has received chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy within 1 year of screening * Has a diagnosis of a hematologic malignancy within 5 years of screening AND has received any chemotherapy or biologic therapy within 1 year of screening * Participants who have had a solid organ transplant (SOT) must satisfy all of the following: * Has received a kidney, liver, heart, or lung transplant more than 6 months prior to screening * Is currently receiving at least two immunosuppressive medications * Participants who have had a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) must satisfy at least one of the following: * Has a history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (i.e., autologous, allogeneic, bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cell, tandem \[peripheral blood and marrow\]) within 1 year of screening * Has a history of non-autologous HSCT with graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) requiring active treatment with immunosuppressants (e.g., systemic corticosteroids ≥1 mg/kg at screening), regardless of the duration of time since HSCT * Is receiving immunosuppressive medicines * Has received chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cell therapy * Has received B-cell depleting therapies (e.g., rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab, alemtuzumab) within the 12 months prior to screening * Has a diagnosis of any primary immunodeficiency except immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency * Has advanced or untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
Exclusion criteria
The main
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Participants Experiencing Protocol-defined Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Occurring ≥7 Days after and up to 24 Weeks after Administration of Study Drug | Up to approximately 24 weeks post dose | Protocol-defined ILI includes: 1) Influenza infection confirmed by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction positive (RT-PCR +) result from nasopharyngeal (NP) swab assayed at a central laboratory AND 2) New onset or worsening of ≥ 2 respiratory symptoms (nasal congestion, sore throat, or cough) OR New onset or worsening of 1 respiratory symptom (nasal congestion, sore throat, or cough) AND new onset of ≥ 1 systemic symptom (headache, feeling feverish or chills, body aches/pains, or fatigue). Number of participants experiencing protocol-defined ILI occurring after administration of MK-1406 (CD388), with influenza infection confirmed by an RT-PCR+ result based on a NP swab assayed at a central laboratory (first occurrence only), as compared to placebo will be assessed. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants with ≥1 Adverse Event (AE) | Up to approximately Day 197 | An AE is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a participant administered a pharmaceutical product temporally associated with the use of study treatment, whether or not considered related to the study treatment. The number of participants with ≥1 AE will be assessed. |
| Number of Participants Who Discontinued from the Study Due to an AE | Up to approximately Day 197 | An AE is defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a participant administered a pharmaceutical product temporally associated with the use of study treatment, whether or not considered related to the study treatment. The number of participants who discontinued the study because of an AE will be assessed. |
| Number of Participants with Injection Site Reactions (ISRs) | Up to approximately Day 8 post dose | Participants will complete the injection site reaction questionnaire in the eDiary Day 1 through Day 8 following the study intervention administration to assess for reactogenicity, based on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) toxicity grading scale used for vaccine trials. Injection site reactions are graded on a scale from 1 to 5 where Grade 1 is mild, Grade 2 is moderate, Grade 3 is severe and Grade 4 is potentially life threatening. The injection-site reactions assessed are pain, tenderness, erythema/redness, and induration/swelling. |
| Number of Stratum B Participants Experiencing Protocol-defined Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Occurring ≥7 Days after and up to 24 Weeks after Administration of Study Drug | Up to approximately 24 weeks post dose | Protocol-defined ILI includes: 1) Influenza infection confirmed by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction positive (RT-PCR +) result from nasopharyngeal (NP) swab assayed at a central laboratory AND 2) New onset or worsening of ≥ 2 respiratory symptoms (nasal congestion, sore throat, or cough) OR New onset or worsening of 1 respiratory symptom (nasal congestion, sore throat, or cough) AND new onset of ≥ 1 systemic symptom (headache, feeling feverish or chills, body aches/pains, or fatigue). Number of Stratum B ((immunocompromised participants) experiencing protocol-defined ILI occurring after administration of CD388, with influenza infection confirmed by an RT-PCR+ result based on an NP swab assayed at a central laboratory (first occurrence only), as compared to placebo will be assessed. |
| Number of Participants with All-cause Hospitalization within 30 Days after the Onset of Symptomatic Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza | Up to 30 days after onset of symptomatic laboratory-confirmed influenza | Hospitalizations are defined as an overnight admission in a hospital or similar acute care facility, including emergency rooms due to any cause within 30 days after the onset of symptomatic laboratory-confirmed influenza infection which occurred from ≥ 7 days after and up to 24 weeks after study intervention administration. Number of participants with all-cause hospitalization within 30 days after the onset of symptomatic influenza will be assessed. |
| Number of Participants with All-cause Mortality within 30 Days after the Onset of Symptomatic Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza | Up to 30 days after onset of symptomatic laboratory-confirmed influenza | Number of participants with mortality due to any cause within 30 days after the onset of symptomatic laboratory-confirmed influenza infection which occurred from ≥ 7 days after and up to 24 weeks after study intervention administration will be determined. |
| Plasma Concentrations Following Administration of MK-1406 (CD388) | Day 1 (pre-dose), Day 29, and Day 197 post dose | Blood samples will be collected at multiple time points to assess the plasma concentrations of MK-1406. |
| Number of Participants with Treatment Emergent Anti-Drug Antibodies (ADAs) | Day 1 (pre-dose), Day 29, and Day 197 post dose | The number of participants with confirmed anti MK-1406 antibodies post-baseline (i.e. treatment-emergent ADAs) will be determined via evaluation of blood samples collected at multiple time points. |
| Number of Participants with Treatment Boosted ADAs | Day 1 (pre-dose), Day 29, and Day 197 post dose | The number of participants with an increase in ADA titer over an initial positive baseline titer (i.e., treatment-boosted ADAs) will be determined will be determined via evaluation of blood samples collected at multiple time points. |
Countries
Argentina, Australia, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States
Contacts
STUDY_DIRECTORMedical Director
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Outcome results
None listed