Adjuvants in licensed human vaccines

TypeFirst licensedDescriptionAdjuvantVaccine examples
Alum (aluminium salts)1920Suspension of phosphate and hydroxide salts. Adsorption of antigens forms depot effect. Activates NALP3 inflammasomeAluminium phosphateDiphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (e.g., Adacel) [92]
Pneumococcus (e.g., Synflorix) [93]
Neisseria meningitidis (e.g., Trumenba®) [94]
Aluminium hydroxideAnthrax (BioThrax®) [95]
Hepatitis B (Engerix B) [96]
Hepatitis A (e.g., Havrix®) [97]
Japanese encephalitis (Ixiaro®) [98]
Neisseria menigitis (e.g., Menjugate®) [97]
Pneumococcus (e.g., Prevenar) [99]
Aluminium phosphate and aluminium hydroxideDiphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (e.g., Boostrix®) [100]
Aluminium phosphate and amorphous aluminium hydroxyphosphate sulfateDiphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (e.g., Vaxelis®) [101]
Amorphous aluminium hydroxyphosphate sulfateHuman papilloma virus (e.g., Gardasil®) [102]
Hepatitis B (e.g., Recombivax) [103]
Oil-in-water emulsion1997Stabilized squalene oil in water emulsion induces inflammatory cytokines and forms antigen depotMF59
AS03
Influenza (e.g., Fluad®, Pandemrix®) [104]
Immune potentiator2022Alum + TLR7/8 agonistAlhydroxyquimCOVID-19 (Covaxin®) [105]
2004Synthetic TLR4 ligand adsorbed to aluminum hydroxideRC-529Hepatitis B [106]
2013Naturally derived TLR4 ligand adsorbed onto L-tyrosineMonophosphoryl lipid A (MPL)Pollen allergy (Pollinex®) [107]
2012TLR9 agonist CpG oligonucleotideISS1018Hepatitis B (Heplisav®) [66]
2022Increased cellular and humoral immunityAlum-CpG1018COVID-19 (CorbeVax®) [108]
Combined adjuvants2017Liposome co-delivering MPL and QS21AS01BShingles (Shingrix®) [109]
Malaria (Mosquirix®) [110]
2005MPL adsorbed on aluminium phosphateAS04Human papilloma virus (e.g., Cervarix™) [111]
Hepatitis B (Fendrix®) [112]
2021Delta inulin with synthetic CpG oligonucleotideAdvax-CpG55.2™COVID-19 (Spikogen®) [42]
Saponin complex2021Saponin mixed with cholesterolMatrix-MCOVID-19 (Nuvaxovid™) [113]

TLR: Toll-like receptor