First adult-targeted pneumococcal conjugate vaccine moves closer

US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) has announced results from STRIDE-10, a Phase III trial of V116, the company’s investigational, adult-specific 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases event in Barcelona, Spain.

The trial evaluated the immunogenicity, tolerability, and safety of the vaccine compared to Merck’s current standard of care product Pneumovax 23, PPSV23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, [23-valent]), in adults aged 50 and older who had not previously received a pneumococcal vaccine.

"A preventative option specifically designed to target serotypes predominantly responsible for adult pneumococcal disease"It was found that V116 elicited noninferior immune responses compared to PPSV23 for the 12 serotypes shared by both vaccines, as measured by serotype-specific opsonophagocytic activity geometric mean titers at day 30. Immune responses were superior for the nine serotypes covered by the vaccine and not PPSV23.