Overview
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). Researchers are looking for other ways to prevent severe illness from the influenza virus.
The goals of this study are to learn if:
- MK-1406 (formerly CD388) is safe to take with Fluzone®
- MK-1406 affects the immune response to Fluzone®
Description
This is a Phase 1, double-blind, randomized trial to evaluate the immunogenicity of Fluzone® HD influenza vaccine when concomitantly administered with either MK-1406 or placebo, in healthy participants. This study will also evaluate the safety and tolerability of MK-1406 when administered with Fluzone® High-Dose (HD) compared to Fluzone® HD with placebo.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
- Be ≥18 to ≤49 years of age
- Be deemed healthy by the Investigator
- Have not received any seasonal influenza vaccine and have not had a diagnosed or suspected influenza infection within 12 months prior to Day 1 of the trial
Exclusion Criteria:
The main exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:
- Had an active malignancy within 5 years prior to screening, except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer. Any history of breast cancer or melanoma is exclusionary.
- Has previously been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome following a previous influenza vaccination.
