Vaxcyte’s vaccine trial success challenges Pfizer and Merck

Vaxcyte, a biotech company based in California, announced a significant breakthrough on Monday. The company reported that its experimental pneumococcal vaccine, VAX-31, successfully met the primary endpoints in a Phase 3 clinical trial. This achievement positions Vaxcyte to challenge industry leaders Pfizer and Merck in the lucrative vaccine market.

VAX-31 is designed to protect against 31 serotypes of bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia. This is a notable advantage over Pfizer’s Prevnar, which covers 20 strains, and Merck’s Capvaxive, which covers 21 strains.

The trial involved over 3,500 adults aged 50 and older. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either VAX-31, Prevnar, or Capvaxive. Researchers then measured the strength of the antibody responses against various strains.