Merck’s investigational pneumococcal vaccine shows promise in older adults
28 Jul 2023
Clinical ResultVaccinePhase 3
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Source: PMLiVE
Merck & Co – known as MSD outside the US and Canada – has shared positive results from two late-stage trials evaluating its investigational 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in adults.
Pneumococcal disease is the name for any infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae and is considered a “major public health problem worldwide” by the World Health Organization.
There are more than 100 different types of pneumococcal bacteria, which can affect adults differently than children. Highly aggressive strains threaten to put more people at risk for invasive pneumococcal illnesses, Merck reports, and older adults are among those most vulnerable to serious infection.
Merck’s candidate, V116, is specifically designed to address the strains that represent adult pneumococcal disease, including eight unique strains which account for approximately 30% of adult disease.
If approved, V116 would be the first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine specifically designed for this patient population, according to the company.
Additionally, results from the phase 3 STRIDE-6 trial demonstrated that V116 was immunogenic for all 21 pneumococcal strains in the vaccine among adults who had received a pneumococcal vaccine at least one year prior to the study.
V116 had a safety profile comparable to the comparator in both studies, Merck said, adding that the results will now be shared with the scientific community and will support global regulatory applications.
Dr Eliav Barr, senior vice president, head of global clinical development and chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories, said: “Despite the availability of current pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, many adults remain vulnerable to pneumococcal disease, especially those who are older.
“These results support the potential for V116 to become an important new preventative option for adults, regardless of prior pneumococcal vaccination status, by expanding coverage to include eight serotypes not currently included in any licenced vaccine.”
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