Can a common virus be turned into a TB vaccine? scientists test VIR-1778

NCT ID NCT07818824

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing an experimental tuberculosis vaccine called VIR-1778 in healthy adults who do not have HIV. The vaccine uses a weakened form of human cytomegalovirus to deliver seven TB proteins to the immune system. The trial aims to see if VIR-1778 is safe and whether it triggers immune responses against TB. About 116 participants will receive two shots, either the vaccine or a placebo, 12 weeks apart.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
VIR-1778, an experimental vaccine that uses a weakened human cytomegalovirus to deliver tuberculosis proteins
What this could lead to
If it works, this approach could lead to a new type of tuberculosis vaccine that uses a harmless virus to train the immune system.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial in healthy adults. The vaccine may not trigger strong enough immune responses, and it could cause side effects. Many vaccines that look promising in Phase 1 do not succeed in later testing.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 1

The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.

Participants

About 116 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Nov 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jun 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A government research agency

The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 55 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria General and Demographic Criteria 1. At least 18 years old at screening and up to 55 years old on day of enrollment. 2. Access to a participating HVTN CRS and willingness to be followed for the planned duration of the study. 3. Demonstrates an understanding of the study and is able and willing to provide informed consent. 4. Agrees not to enroll in another study of an investigational agent during participation in the trial. If a potential participant is already enrolled in another clinical trial, approvals are required prior to enrollment into HVTN 606. 5. In good general health according to the clinical judgment of the site investigator. 6. Physical examination and laboratory results without clinically significant findings that would interfere with assessment of safety or reactogenicity in the clinical judgment of the site investigator. 7. Willing to not donate blood, sperm, or other tissues until after the last required protocol clinic visit. 8. CMV seropositive. 9. Systolic blood pressure of 90 to \< 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 50 to \< 90 mmHg at screening visit. The average blood pressure between the screening visit and the enrollment visit must be below 140 mmHg systolic and 90 mmHg diastolic. A single measurement ≥ 160 systolic mmHg or 100 mmHg diastolic during the current study evaluation is exclusionary. 10. Male volunteers with partners of pregnancy potential must agree to have their partners use contraception through the end of the study (does not include long-term follow-up). 11. For Part A only: Women who are not of pregnancy potential or male volunteers. Any individual may be enrolled if they are not of pregnancy potential. 12. For Part B only: Women volunteers who are of pregnancy potential must * Be willing to use an approved method of highly effective contraception from 14 days before enrollment through the end of the study * Refrain from egg donation and in vitro fertilization from the time of study product administration through the end of the study * Have negative serum or urine beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) pregnancy test at screening (ie, prior to randomization) and prior to study product administration on the day of study product administration. Women who are NOT of pregnancy potential due to having undergone hysterectomy or salpingectomy or tubal ligation or bilateral oophorectomy (verified by medical records) are not required to undergo pregnancy testing. * Also agree not to seek pregnancy through alternative methods, such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization until after the last required protocol clinic visit 13. Willingness to receive HIV and TB test results. 14. Hemogram/complete blood count (CBC) • Hemoglobin: ≥ 11.0 g/dL for women, ≥ 13.0 g/dL for men Note: If receiving exogenous hormones for more than 6 consecutive months with dosing equivalent to parenteral testosterone ≥1000 mg every 12 weeks or estradiol valerate ≥2 mg/week, determine hemoglobin eligibility based on the exogenous hormone reported. 15. White blood cell count = 2,500 to 12,000 cells/mm3 (WBC over 12,000/mm3 is not exclusionary if further evaluation shows general good health and if approval is granted). • Platelets = 125,000 to 550,000 cells/mm3. 16. Chemistry panel: * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) \< 1.25 × upper limit of institutional reference range * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (\< 1.25 × upper limit of normal (ULN)) based on institutional normal range * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.1 × ULN based on institutional normal range * Direct bilirubin levels \< 7.7 mic mol/L (0.45mg/dL) and total bilirubin \< 22.5 mic mol/L (1.3 mg/dL) (volunteers known to have Gilbert's Syndrome with an abnormal total bilirubin are not excluded) * Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) \< 1.1 × ULN based on institutional normal range 17. Negative HIV-1 and -2 blood test by one of the following options: * Negative European Conformity (CE)-marked or FDA-approved enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) or * Negative results on 2 different brands of HIV rapid tests (one of which must be CE-marked or FDA-approved) Note: For participants with vaccine-induced seropositivity (VISP) from previous HIV vaccine study product(s), a negative result from a HVTN HIV diagnostics testing laboratory within 14 days prior to enrollment. 18. Negative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). 19. Negative anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCV), or negative HCV nucleic acid test if the anti-HCV is positive. 20. All volunteers must use condoms for the duration of the study . ALL volunteers regardless of sex, reproductive status, or sex of partner(s) must use condoms as a barrier method to mitigate against potential VIR-1778 transmission to their partner(s) (in the event that shedding occurs). Exclusion criteria 1. Known significant exposure to TB in the 2 years prior to enrollment, as determined by the site investigator based on potential participant report and available medical records. Note: Significant exposure is defined as close contact with a person who has active TB and has not completed TB treatment. Close contact is defined as sleeping in the same contiguous house/dwelling, and/or working or socializing in close proximity in an enclosed space frequently (eg, several times a week). 2. History of prior active TB disease, as determined by the site investigator based on participant report and available medical, laboratory, or radiographic records. 3. Current anti-TB prophylaxis or therapy. 4. Evidence of active TB disease as determined by the site investigator. 5. Blood products or immunoglobulin within 16 weeks prior to enrollment; receipt of immunoglobulin within 16 weeks prior to enrollment requires approval. 6. Pregnant or breastfeeding. 7. Receipt of investigational research agents with a half-life of 7 or fewer days within 4 weeks prior to enrollment. If a potential participant has received investigational agents with a half-life of more than 7 days (or unknown half-life) within the past year, approval is required for enrollment. 8. Use of (val)acyclovir, (val)ganciclovir, letermovir, foscarnet, or another antiviral with anti-CMV activity within 30 days prior to the first vaccination. Chronic or suppressive use of (val)acyclovir is not permitted. Short-term use (defined as less than 10 days) of (val)acyclovir is permitted at standard doses provided there have been no more than 2 courses of (val)acyclovir over the last 6 months. Topical use is not exclusionary. 9. Investigational TB vaccine(s) or CMV-based vaccine received in prior vaccine trials or BCG vaccination outside infancy. For volunteers who have received control/placebo in a TB vaccine trial, eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis. 10. Investigational non-TB vaccine(s) or non-CMV vaccine received within the last 1 year in a prior vaccine trial. Exceptions may be made for vaccines that have subsequently undergone licensure by the FDA or by the national regulatory authority where the volunteer is enrolling. For volunteers who have received control/placebo in an experimental vaccine trial, eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis. For volunteers who have received an experimental vaccine(s) greater than 1 year ago, eligibility for enrollment will be determined on a case-by-case basis. 11. Receipt of any of the following within 4 weeks prior to enrollment: * Live replicating vaccine * Any mRNA-based vaccine with FDA licensure, FDA EUA, or WHO EUL * ACAM2000 vaccine \> 28 days prior with a vaccination scab still present 12. Receipt of any vaccines that are not covered in the exclusion criterion #10 within 14 days prior to enrollment. Please note this includes replication-incompetent vaccines such as the Jynneos vaccine for the prevention of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) disease. 13. Initiation of Ag-based immunotherapy for allergies within the previous year (stable immunotherapy is not exclusionary); inclusion of participants who initiated immunotherapy within the previous year requires PSRT approval. 14. Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency, including systemic medication use likely to impair immune response to vaccine in the opinion of the site investigator, such as glucocorticoid use, ≥ prednisone 10 mg/day within 3 months prior to enrollment. 15. Autoimmune disease, current or history of (not exclusionary: mild, well-controlled psoriasis). 16. Asthma exclusion criteria: Asthma is exclusionary if the volunteer has ANY of the following: * Required either oral or parenteral corticosteroids for an exacerbation 2 or more times within the past year; OR * Needed emergency care, urgent care, hospitalization, or intubation for an acute asthma exacerbation within the past year (eg, would NOT exclude individuals with asthma who meet all other criteria but sought urgent/emergent care solely for asthma medication refills or coexisting conditions unrelated to asthma); OR * Uses a short-acting rescue inhaler more than 2 days/week for acute asthma symptoms (ie, not for preventive treatment prior to athletic activity); OR uses medium-to-high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (greater than 250 mcg fluticasone or therapeutic equivalent per day), whether in single-therapy or dual-therapy inhalers (ie, with a long-acting beta agonist \[LABA\]); OR * Uses more than 1 medication for maintenance therapy daily. Inclusion of anyone on a stable dose of more than 1 medication for maintenance therapy daily for greater than 2 years requires PSRT approval. 17. Asplenia or functional asplenia. 18. Active duty and reserve US military personnel. 19. Any other chronic or clinically significant condition that, in the clinical judgment of the investigator, would jeopardize the safety or rights of the study participant, including but not limited to: clinically significant forms of substance use or alcohol use disorder(s), serious psychiatric disorders, any suicide attempt within the past 1 year (if between 1 and 2 years, eligibility will be considered on a case-by case basis), or cancer that, in the clinical judgment of the site investigator, has potential for recurrence (excluding basal cell carcinoma). 20. Diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 or type 2. Not exclusionary: Type 2 DM controlled with diet alone (and confirmed by HgbA1c ≤ 8% within the last 6 months) or a history of isolated gestational diabetes are not exclusionary. Enrollment of individuals with type 2 DM that is well controlled on hypoglycemic agent(s) may be considered on a case-by-case basis, provided that the HgbA1c is ≤ 8% within the last 6 months (sites may draw these at screening). 21. Bleeding disorder (eg, factor deficiency, coagulopathy, or platelet disorder requiring special precautions) diagnosed by a clinician, or current therapeutic systemic anticoagulation for any clinical indication. Systemic anticoagulation includes oral anticoagulants (eg, warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban), injectable anticoagulants (eg, low-molecular-weight heparin, unfractionated heparin), or other similar prescription anticoagulants. Other conditions previously treated with systemic anticoagulants for any therapeutic (non-prophylactic) indication may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 22. Investigator concern for difficulty with venous access based on clinical history and physical examination. For example, persons with a history of intravenous drug use or substantial difficulty with previous blood draws. 23. Seizure disorder: History of seizure(s) within past 3 years. Also exclude if volunteer has used medications in order to prevent or treat seizure(s) at any time within the past 3 years. 24. History of serious reaction (eg, hypersensitivity, anaphylaxis) to any related vaccine or component of the study-vaccine regimen (eg, Histidine, Trehalose-dihydrate). 25. History of angioedema: Hereditary angioedema, acquired angioedema, or idiopathic forms of angioedema. 26. History of generalized urticaria within the past year. 27. Have intimate contact with immunocompromised individuals. Intimate contacts are defined as individuals who come into contact with the study participant through sexual relations or mucosal kissing or who share personal items that may be in contact with the participant's body fluids. 28. Have intimate contact with a pregnant partner or a partner planning to become pregnant during the course of the study. 29. Healthcare provider who routinely comes into unmasked contact with immunosuppressed patients or pregnant women. 30. Person with primary caregiving interactions with children less than 2 years of age, as determined by the site investigator. 31. Childcare worker who routinely provides care to children under the age of 2 years old.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • ACSA CRS Site# 30259

    Iquitos, Peru

  • Via Libre CRS Site# 31909

    Lima, 15001, Peru

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