MER3101: MAS-1 Adjuvanted Antigen-specific Immunotherapeutic for Prevention and Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes

The study is a four-arm (cohort), single center, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation clinical trial. In this Phase I study, subjects (5 active MER3101 per arm plus 2 MAS-1 placebo) will be randomized to receive two intramuscular doses at days 0 and 28 of either MAS-1 placebo emulsion or MAS-1 adjuvanted IBC at 33, 109, and 327 µg IBC in 0.25 mL MAS-1 adjuvanted emulsion, followed by an additional arm to receive the optimal IBC dose selected from the first 3 arms in 0.25 mL MAS-1 emulsion. All groups will receive standard intensive diabetes treatment with insulin and dietary management. The primary endpoint is assess the safety and tolerability of 3 doses of progressively higher IBC antigen doses of the vaccine, at 0.25 mL of MAS-1 adjuvant emulsion. In addition, to determine if the vaccine induces a shift towards protection shown by increased levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and TGF-b and regulatory changes in insulin-specific T and B cells using novel reagents to detect these unique populations of cells in treated subjects.