The use of nipocalimab, an emerging therapeutic agent being studied as a potential therapy for hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) , does not appear to affect vaccine efficacy, according to a recently published study in Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics.
Immunomodulatory therapies like nipocalimab are often associated with alterations in the post-vaccination immune response. The lack of a proper immune response to a specific vaccine can leave patients, especially those with an already weakened immune system, defenseless against infections.
The researchers involved in the study wanted to find out whether immunization schedules may need adjustment to reduce the risk and severity of infection. They also wanted to compare immune responses with those who did not receive immunomodulatory agents.
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The study included a total of 32 participants, of whom 16 received nipocalimab and 15 received a placebo. All participants were administered a tetanus vaccine and a pneumococcal vaccine.
Results showed that participants who received nipocalimab produced antibodies against tetanus in a similar manner to those in the placebo group. Regarding the pneumococcal vaccine, a lower antibody response was observed at week four in the nipocalimab group; however, by week 16, the values were comparable between both groups.
Adverse effects following vaccination were mild and similar between groups. Researchers reported that the rate of upper respiratory infections shortly after vaccination was 20% in the placebo group and 37% in the treatment group.
“In conclusion, nipocalimab did not impact the development of adequate IgG responses to non-live T-cell–dependent and –independent vaccines in healthy participants, suggesting that individuals who receive nipocalimab can adhere to recommended vaccination schedules,” the author wrote.
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