Retired Army Col. Jenice N. Longfield, M.D., M.P.H., assistant vice president for research operations at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, served as site principal investigator for the Phase I adenovirus study.
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Contact: Will Sansom, 210-567-2579

SAN ANTONIO (May 3, 2011) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April approved licensure of a new vaccine for preventing febrile acute respiratory disease due to adenovirus in U.S. military recruits.

Site principal investigator for Phase I study
Retired Army Col. Jenice N. Longfield, M.D., M.P.H., assistant vice president for research operations at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, served as site principal investigator for the Phase I study with investigators from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston.

The Phase I study (first-time use in humans) took place at Brooke Army Medical Center. Research participants were medic trainees at the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School. A subsequent Phase III study to evaluate effectiveness of the vaccine was conducted at Fort Jackson, S.C., and Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill.

Evaluating safety and effectiveness
The studies demonstrated the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in preventing two types of adenovirus that have caused significant loss of training time among recruits in all service branches.

“Similar to influenza virus, adenovirus has different serotypes that circulate during a season,” Dr. Longfield said. “Thus it is important to develop adenovirus vaccines for multiple serotypes.”

The vaccine is for adenovirus serotypes 4 and 7, which have accounted for the majority of acute respiratory diseases in military recruits in the past, including hospitalization for severe pneumonia and occasional deaths.

Protecting new recruits
“The vaccine replaced a previous one that was discontinued in 1996,” Dr. Longfield said. “When vaccinations ceased, adenovirus-associated cases returned to pre-vaccine levels and outbreaks became commonplace again at basic training posts, resulting in at least six deaths between 2002 and 2007. We are pleased that the new vaccine is safe and effective for our country’s new recruits.”

Findings of the Phase I study were published in the journal Vaccine in 2008.

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