CDC And Prevention Advisory Panel Backs Expanded Use Of Pfizer And Merck's Pneumococcal Vaccines

On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for expanded usage recommendation for Merck & Co Inc’s MRK and Pfizer Inc’s PFE pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

The CDC panel has recommended lowering the pneumococcal vaccination age from 65 to 50 years old.

“ACIP’s vote to expand adult pneumococcal vaccination to now include all adults aged 50 and older marks an important milestone in Pfizer’s long-standing commitment to reducing the burden of this life-threatening disease,” Pfizer’s chief medical affairs officer for global vaccines and antivirals, said Luis Jodar.

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The 20 serotypes contained in Pfizer’s PREVNAR 20 are estimated to cause over 2,000 deaths and more than 65,000 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), including bacteremia and meningitis and community-acquired pneumonia annually in adults aged 50 to 64.

Between 2018 and 2022, more than half of IPD cases in people aged 50 to 64 were caused by these 20 serotypes.

In the presentation, ACIP highlighted that among adults aged 50–64 with pneumococcal disease, a high proportion (88%) of adults

had ≥1 condition with a risk-based pneumococcal vaccine indication.

The CDC’s pneumococcal vaccines workgroup emphasized in its presentation that an age-based recommendation would likely increase vaccine uptake more effectively than a risk-based approach.

The expert panel also highlighted economic impact, serotype coverage, and health equity advantages to support its recommendation.

In June this year, the FDA approved Merck’s Capvaxive (Pneumococcal 21-valent Conjugate Vaccine) to protect against 21 strains of bacteria to prevent a severe form of pneumococcal disease.

It’s the first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine specifically designed to protect adults from a bacteria known as pneumococcus that can cause serious illnesses and a lung infection.

Price Action: At the last check on Thursday, MRK stock was down 0.73% at $105.60, and PFE stock was down 1.02% at $28.57.

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