A Study to Assess the Reduction of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Viral Infectivity and Transmission in HPV-Positive Women After Vaccination With 9vHPV (RIFT-HPV)

NCT05334706RecruitingPHASE4INTERVENTIONAL

Summary

Key Facts

Lead Sponsor

Miquel Angel Pavon Ribas

Enrollment

69

Start Date

2022-09-13

Completion Date

2026-12-01

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Official Title

A Non-Randomized, Open-Label Study to Assess the Reduction of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Viral Infectivity and Transmission in HPV16/18-Positive Women After Vaccination With 9vHPV, a Multivalent L1 Virus-like Particle Vaccine, Evaluated in Cervical, Anal and Oral Samples Obtained After One, Two, and Three Vaccine Doses (RIFT-HPV1/RIFT-HPV2)

Interventions

Nonavalent HPV vaccine (9vHPV/Gardasil-9™).

Conditions

Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade I/ II/ III (CIN I/II/III)Human Papillomavirus (HPV) InfectionsHigh-risk HPVHPV-16/ 18

Eligibility

Age Range

18 Years+

Sex

FEMALE

Inclusion Criteria:

* Women.
* Aged 18 years or older for RIFT-HPV Cohort 1 and 2, attending a routine cervical cancer screening visit or gynaecological visit.
* Positive for HPV16, 18 or double-positive for 16 and 18 and negative for the rest of high-risk HPV types in a cervical sample.
* Recently diagnosed for their HPV-positivity (within the last 10 months).
* Meet one of the following criteria:

have no apparent cervical lesion (Cohort 1). have a CIN1/2 lesion which is eligible for conservative treatment (cohort 1). have HPV 16 and/or HPV 18 positive anal test with non-apparent anal lesions or with anal lesions eligible for conservative treatment (Cohort 2).

have HPV 16 and/or HPV 18 positive cervical test with vulvar premalignant lesion or condylomas, associated to HPV infection (Cohort 2).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Presence of any cervical lesion that requires clinical intervention within 7 months that could significantly affect cervical epithelia (and therefore, HPV viral production), such as cervical conization.
* History of severe allergic reaction (e.g., swelling of the mouth and throat, difficulty breathing, hypotension, or shock) that required medical intervention.
* History of allergy to any vaccine component, including aluminum, yeast, or BENZONASETM (nuclease, Nicomedia).
* History of thrombocytopenia or any coagulation disorder that would contraindicate intramuscular injection of study vaccine.
* History of splenectomy.
* History of ano-genital cancer or HPV-related head and neck cancer.
* Pregnancy at the time of signing informed consent or planning to become pregnant within the full duration of the study.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes

To demonstrate that vaccination with a 3-dose regimen of 9vHPV will change viral infectivity in cervical, anal and oral samples from HPV 16/18/16+18-positive women.

In-vitro infectivity evaluation of cervical, anal, and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination, by expression of E1\^E4 HPV biomarker in HaCaT keratinocytes.

Time frame: 7 month

Detection of HPV 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 L1 antibodies in cervical, anal and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination, using ELISA and cLIA.

This endpoint will allow to associate the reduction in viral infectivity with the presence of neutralizing antibodies.

Time frame: 7 month

HPV16/18 virion detection in cervical, anal and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination.

HPV16/18 virion detection will be carried out using ELISA and electronic microscopy in cervical, anal and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination.

Time frame: 7 month

HPV DNA detection in cervical, anal and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination.

HPV DNA detection will be performed using Anyplex HPV28 in cervical, anal and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination.

Time frame: 7 month

HPV DNA genotyping in cervical, anal and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination.

HPV DNA genotyping will be performed using Anyplex HPV28 in cervical, anal and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination.

Time frame: 7 month

Secondary Outcomes

To determine HPV antibody titration before and after vaccination for each of the 9vHPV-covered HPV types (6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58).

To determine HPV 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 L1 antibody titration in serum samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination, using ELISA for types 16 and 18 in samples from RIFT-HPV 1 and 2 study cohorts, using cLIA for all 9vHPV-covered types except 16 and 18, in samples from RIFT-HPV 1 study cohort.

Time frame: 7 month

To demonstrate viral infectivity change in cervical, oral and anal samples from HPV 16/18/16+18-positive women after vaccination with 1-dose or 2-dose regimen of 9vHPV.

In-vitro infectivity evaluation of cervical, anal, and oral samples collected before and after 9vHPV vaccination with 1st dose and 2nd dose, by expression of E1\^E4 HPV biomarker in HaCaT keratinocytes.

Time frame: 7 month

Locations

Gynaecology Unit, Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain

Linked Papers

2020-08-11

Transmission reduction and prevention with HPV vaccination (TRAP-HPV) study protocol: a randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of HPV vaccination in preventing transmission of HPV infection in heterosexual couples

Introduction Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a causal agent of malignancies including cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, anal and oropharyngeal cancer, as well as benign conditions such as anogenital warts. HPV vaccination protects individuals against infections with the target HPV types and their clinical outcomes. However, little is known about the protection an immunised individual confers to their sexual partner or its impact on HPV transmission dynamics. In this context, the Transmission Reduction and Prevention with HPV vaccination (TRAP-HPV) study was designed to determine the efficacy of an HPV vaccine in reducing transmission of genital and oral HPV infection in sexual partners of vaccinated individuals. Methods and analysis The TRAP-HPV study is an ongoing randomised controlled trial among heterosexual couples living in Montreal, Canada. Sexually active couples, aged between 18 and 45 years, who have been in a relationship no longer than 6 months are considered eligible. Participants are independently randomised to receive either the intervention HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9, or a placebo hepatitis A vaccine, Avaxim, creating four vaccination groups among couples: intervention–intervention, intervention–placebo, placebo–intervention and the placebo–placebo. Participants provide genital (vaginal/penile) and oral samples at baseline and five follow-up visits over a 1-year duration. Linear Array HPV genotyping is used to detect 36 HPV types. Cox proportional hazard regression models will be used to estimate the effect of vaccination on HPV transmission. Ethics and dissemination The TRAP-HPV study received ethical approval by institutional review boards McGill University, Concordia University and Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal. Before enrolment, all participants provide informed written consent. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. The generated empirical evidence could be used in mathematical models of vaccination to inform policymakers in Canada and elsewhere. Trial registration number NCT01824537 .

Linked Investigators

Eduardo L. Franco

Professor Eduardo Franco is a Distinguished James McGill Professor in the Departments of Oncology and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McGill University. He served as Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology (1995–2024) and Chair of the Department of Oncology (2011–23). Earlier, he was on the faculty of Université du Québec and Head of the Epidemiology Unit at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in São Paulo, Brazil. He holds biology degrees from the Universidade de Campinas and MPH and DrPH degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His early training included fellowships at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and Louisiana State University. Since 1985, his research has contributed to understanding and preventing cervical cancer and HPV‑related diseases, and to studies of upper aerodigestive tract, prostate, endometrial, and childhood cancers. His work spans cancer screening evaluation, measurement error, and factors influencing cancer survival. He has led international collaborations in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and through IARC. His research has been funded by CIHR, NIH, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, FRSQ, and the Cancer Research Society. As of March 2026, he had published more than 600 scientific papers (Google Scholar link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9GDejd4AAAAJ&hl=en). His work has appeared in The Lancet, JAMA, NEJM, JNCI, BMJ, and PLOS Medicine. He is Editor‑in‑Chief of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and JNCI Monographs, and Editor‑in‑Chief Emeritus of Preventive Medicine and Preventive Medicine Reports. He has served on more than a dozen major editorial boards, on scientific and grant‑review panels internationally, and twice advised the U.S. President’s Cancer Panel. Professor Franco has mentored 101 graduate students, 36 postdoctoral fellows, and 41 undergraduate trainees, and has taught widely in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He has held leadership roles in 68 conference committees, chaired the 16th World Congress of Epidemiology, and served as Vice-President and President of the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He is President‑Elect of the International Epidemiological Association (2024–27). His honours include major lifetime achievement awards from McGill and international organizations, and national distinctions such as Officer of the Order of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and Foreign Fellow of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.