‘Age-specific vaccination needed to address unmet needs'

in pneumococcal disease

The 21-valent Capvaxive vaccine broadens prevention coverage with eight unique serotypes

MSD emphasizes separate vaccination strategies for the pediatric and adult population… Optimization strategy in full swing

Professor Jung-Hyun Choi, Division of Infectious Diseases, Eunpyeong St.

 

Mary

A new vaccine targeting the largest number of serotypes in the pneumococcal market has been introduced in Korea.

 

MSD Korea plans to address unmet needs in pneumococcal disease through age-specific prevention strategies, following the release of its adult vaccine, which follows pediatric vaccines.

 

On the 21st, MSD Korea held a press conference at the JW Marriott Hotel Seoul to mark the domestic approval of the pneumococcal vaccine Capvaxive and introduced the vaccine's clinical evidence and preventive efficacy.

 

Capvaxive, which was approved in Korea in August, is indicated for adults aged 18 and older to prevent invasive disease and pneumonia caused by 21 pneumococcal serotypes (3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F, 35B).

 

Notably, it covers 8 unique serotypes (15A, 15C, 16F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 35B) not included in Pfizer’s Prevnar 20, which recently entered the Korean market.

 

These serotypes are clinically significant for preventing pneumococcal disease in adults, as they are detected in over 30% of infected adults aged 65 and older.

 

Pneumococcal disease is an infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, which has approximately 100 different serotypes.

 

In the United States, over 150,000 adults are hospitalized annually for pneumococcal pneumonia.

 

As a result, pharmaceutical companies have continued competition to develop vaccines that cover more serotypes, and the emergence of the 21-valent vaccine Capvaxive represents an evolution in this serotype coverage competition.

 

Capvaxive demonstrated non-inferiority compared to the existing 20-valent protein-conjugated vaccine (PCV20) in the Phase III STRIDE-3 trial.

 

In this study involving 2,662 adults with no prior pneumococcal vaccination history, Capvaxive showed non-inferior immune responses to the 20-valent vaccine for shared serotypes and even higher antibody responses for unique serotypes.

 

Furthermore, enhanced immune responses were observed in certain serotypes when administered as a booster to individuals previously vaccinated with 13-valent, 15-valent protein-conjugated vaccines, or the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine.

 

Professor Jung-Hyun Choi of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Eunpyeong St.

 

Mary's Hospital emphasized, “Herd immunity formed solely through the National Immunization Program (NIP) for children is insufficient to prevent adult infections completely.

 

The need for adult-specific vaccines is growing as serotypes with high antibiotic resistance and those not included in existing vaccines are increasing.” He further noted, “The 21-valent vaccine has a completely different coverage spectrum compared to existing vaccines.

 

This is expected to provide approximately 20-30% higher preventive efficacy in adults.” Serotype replacement phenomenon causes prevention gaps…Need for separate pediatric/adult strategies highlighted

Jaeyong Cho, Executive Director of MSD Korea’s Vaccine Business Unit

MSD Korea has clearly differentiated its vaccine strategy by age group.

 

It has obtained approval for the pediatric ‘Vaxneuvance (15-valent)’ and the adult ‘Capvaxive (21-valent)’ separately to establish a tailored prevention system considering age-specific immune characteristics and infection risks.

 

This strategy pursues an age-optimized approach, differing from Pfizer's Prevnar series, which uses the same vaccine across all age groups.

 

MSD Korea emphasizes that Capvaxive is specifically tailored for adults.

 

While the overall pneumococcal infection rate has decreased due to the availability of various vaccines, a prevention gap still exists due to serotype replacement.

 

Analysis indicates that infections caused by serotypes not included in vaccines developed since 2014 are increasing, necessitating a new response focused on the adult population.

 

Reflecting this global trend, the U.S.

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its pneumococcal vaccination guidelines, recommending vaccination for adults aged 50 and older, expanding the age range from the previously recommended 65 and older.

 

The CDC specifically emphasized the need for broader serotype coverage, stating that even individuals who previously received the 13-valent vaccine should consider additional vaccination with the 20-, 21-, or 23-valent vaccines.

 

Professor Choi stated, "Compared to PCV20, the preventive efficacy of Capvaxive against invasive pneumococcal disease caused by unique serotypes is expected to be 21-30%.

 

The preventive effect against PCV20-specific serotypes when using Capvaxive appears to decrease by about 8%.“ He further emphasized, ”While the preventive effect is similar for some common serotypes, additional protection can be secured through Capvaxive’s unique serotypes.

 

Ultimately, an age-specific customized vaccine strategy is the most realistic and efficient approach." Jaeyong Cho, Executive Director of MSD Korea’s Vaccine Business Unit, said, “By providing age-specific vaccines, we will reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from adult pneumococcal disease, alleviate healthcare costs, and ease the socioeconomic burden of an aging society.

 

Capvaxive will become the new standard for adult pneumococcal prevention.” He added, “We plan to launch Capvaxive in the first or second quarter of next year and pursue collaboration with domestic pharmaceutical companies for its rollout at an appropriate time.”