Pfizer gets US FDA approval for PREVNAR 20, pneumococcal 20-valent conjugate vaccine for adults

Pfizer announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved PREVNAR 20 (Pneumococcal 20-valent Conjugate Vaccine) for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by the 20 Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) serotypes in the vaccine in adults ages 18 years and older. Following FDA approval, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is expected to meet in October to discuss and update recommendations on the safe and appropriate use of pneumococcal vaccines in adults.

PREVNAR 20 includes capsular polysaccharide conjugates for the 13 serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F) already included in Prevnar 13 (Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]). The vaccine also contains capsular polysaccharide conjugates for seven additional serotypes (8, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15B, 22F and 33F) that cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), and have been associated with high case-fatality rates, antibiotic resistance, and/or meningitis.

Kathrin U Jansen, Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development, Pfizer said, “With a single injection, PREVNAR 20 provides adults with strong and meaningful protection against serotypes responsible for the majority of circulating pneumococcal disease around the world.”

The FDA’s decision is based on evidence from Pfizer’s clinical program in adults, including Phase 1 and 2 trials, and three Phase 3 trials (NCT03760146, NCT03828617, and NCT03835975) describing the safety and evaluating the immunogenicity of the vaccine. More than 6,000 adult subjects 18 years and older participated in the three Phase 3 trials, including adults 65 years of age and older, vaccine-naïve adults, and adults with prior pneumococcal vaccination.