March 18, 2020 -- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) today announced top-line results from one of its Phase 3 studies (NCT03760146), which evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (20vPnC) candidate in adults 18 years of age or older not previously vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. The primary immunogenicity objectives of non-inferiority for the 20 serotypes included in 20vPnC in adults 60 years of age and older at one month after vaccination were met for all serotypes in common with licensed Prevnar 13® (pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]) and six of the seven additional serotypes when compared to a licensed pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23); one of the new seven serotypes missed noninferiority criteria by a small margin.1 Secondary immunogenicity objectives for adults 18-59 years old compared to those 60-64 years old met non-inferiority for all 20 serotypes. The safety objectives were met in adults 18 years of age or older demonstrating that the safety and tolerability of 20vPnC were comparable to licensed pneumococcal vaccines. Based on prior discussions with regulators, these data are expected to meet licensure criteria.

“We are encouraged by the results from this study and remain on track to file the adult 20vPnC indication with the FDA by the end of 2020. 20vPnC builds on a well-established and trusted foundation of pneumococcal conjugate experience and science that Pfizer has accumulated for more than 20 years,” said Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development, Pfizer. “The results from this pivotal study provide evidence that the 20vPnC vaccine is expected to have a comparable safety profile and likely be as effective as Prevnar 13 in helping prevent invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia due to the 13 serotypes in Prevnar 13, and also effective against disease due to the seven additional pneumococcal serotypes in adults 18 years of age or older.”

Pfizer’s 20vPnC vaccine candidate includes 13 serotypes already included in Prevnar 13. The seven new serotypes included in 20vPnC are global causes of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD),2,3,4,5,6 and are associated with high case-fatality rates,7,8,9,10 antibiotic resistance,5,11,12 and/or meningitis.13,14 Globally, pneumococcal pneumonia is estimated to cause about 500,000 deaths and 30 million episodes in adults 70 years and older annually.15 Together, the 20 serotypes included in 20vPnC are responsible for the majority of currently circulating pneumococcal disease in the U.S. and globally.16,17,18,19,20,21,22

“The 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was developed to overcome the limitations attributed to pneumococcal plain polysaccharide vaccines. 20vPnC, like its predecessor Prevnar 13, is expected to provide immunological memory against the 20 serotypes included in the vaccine and to afford protection against non-bacteremic pneumonia for those 20 serotypes,” said Luis Jodar, Ph.D., Chief Medical and Scientific Affairs Officer, Pfizer Vaccines. “This is particularly important for the seven additional pneumococcal serotypes due to the burden of pneumonia caused by the new serotypes and the lack of herd protection for adults since the current pediatric vaccine does not protect against the seven additional strains.”

Pfizer will seek to present and publish outcomes from this clinical trial at a future date once safety and immunogenicity data have been fully analyzed.

20vPnC Phase 3 Adult Program

Pfizer’s phase 3 pivotal development program for 20vPnC includes three clinical trials (NCT03760146, NCT03828617, and NCT03835975) evaluating the vaccine candidate for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumococcal pneumonia in adults 18 years or older. Combined, these three trials have enrolled more than 6,000 adult subjects, including populations of vaccine-naïve adults and adults with prior pneumococcal vaccination.23,24 All three trials have been completed and the data for two remaining studies will be reading out over the next few months.

• This press release refers to NCT03760146: Phase 3 randomized, double-blind trial including 3,880 adults aged 18 or older with no history of pneumococcal vaccination. The study was designed to compare immune responses in patients ≥60 years old after 20vPnC administration to responses in a control group receiving Prevnar 13 or PPSV23. The study also evaluated immune responses of 20vPnC in adults 18 to 59 years (secondary endpoints) and described the safety profile of 20vPnC in all adults ≥18 years old (primary endpoint). Additional information about the study can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT03760146.

Additional trials include:

• NCT03828617: Phase 3 randomized, double-blind trial, designed to provide additional safety data and evaluate three different lots of 20vPnC in adults 18 through 49 years of age with no history of pneumococcal vaccination. More on the study can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT03828617.
• NCT03835975: Phase 3 randomized, open-label trial, designed to describe the safety and immune response of 20vPnC in an estimated 875 adults aged 65 years or older with prior pneumococcal vaccination. More on the study can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT03835975.

About 20vPnC

On September 20, 2018, Pfizer announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for 20vPnC for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia in adults age 18 years or older. Breakthrough Therapy Designation is designed to expedite the development and review of drugs and vaccines that are intended to treat or prevent serious conditions and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug or vaccine may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy on a clinically significant endpoint(s).25 Drugs and vaccines that receive Breakthrough Therapy Designation are eligible for all features of the FDA’s Fast Track designation, which may include more frequent communication with the FDA about the drug’s development plan and eligibility for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review, if relevant criteria are met.26

The FDA previously granted Fast Track designation for 20vPnC in September 2017 for use in adults aged 18 years or older.27 The FDA’s Fast Track approach is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs and vaccines intended to treat or prevent serious conditions and address an unmet medical need.26

Additionally, in May 2017 the FDA granted Fast Track status for a pediatric indication for 20vPnC.28

Pfizer Inc: Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer_News, LinkedIn, YouTube, and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.

1 Lower bound of the 2-sided 95% confidence interval for the opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) assay geometric mean ratio of serotype 8 contained in 20vPnC compared to PPSV23 equals 0.49. The predefined noninferiority criterion is >0.5.
2 Baisells E, Guillot L, Nair H, et al. Serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae causing invasive disease in children in the post-PCV era: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PlosOne. 2017;12(5): e0177113.
3 Hausdorff W & Hanage W. Interim results of an ecological experiment – Conjugate Vaccination against the pneumococcus and serotype replacement. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2016;12(2):358-374.
4 Cohen R, Cohen J, Chalumeau M, et al. Impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for children in high- and non-high income countries. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2017;16(6):625-640.
5 Moore M, Link-Gelles R, Schaffner W, et al. Effect of use of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in children on invasive pneumococcal disease in children and adults in the USA: analysis of multisite, population-based surveillance. Lancet Infect Dis. 2015;15(3):301-309.
6 Metcalf B, Gertz RE, Gladstone RA, et al. Strain features and distributions in pneumococci from children with invasive disease before and after 13-valent conjugate vaccine implementation in the USA. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2016;22(1):60. e9-60. e29.
7 Oligbu G, Collins S, Sheppard CL, et al. Childhood Deaths Attributable to Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in England and Wales, 2006–2014. Clin Infect Dis. 2017;65(2):308-314.
8 van Hoek, Andrews N, Waight PA, et al. Effect of Serotype on Focus and Mortality of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease: Coverage of Different Vaccines and Insight into Non-Vaccine Serotypes. PlosOne. 2012;7(7: e39150.
9 Stanek R, Norton N, Mufson M. A 32-Years Study of the Impact of Pneumococcal Vaccines on Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae Disease. Am J Med Sci. 2016;352(6):563-573.
10 Harboe ZB, Thomsen RW, Riis A, et al. Pneumococcal Serotypes and Mortality following Invasive Pneumococcal Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study. PlosOne. 2009;6(5): e 1000081.
11 Tomczyk S, Lynfield R, Schaffner W, et al. Prevention of Antibiotic-Nonsusceptible Invasive Pneumococcal Disease With the 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine. Clin Infect Dis. 2016;62(9):1119-1125.
12 Mendes RE, Hollingsworth RC, Costello A, et al. Noninvasive Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes Recovered from Hospitalized Adult Patients in the United States in 2009 to 2012. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015;59(9):5595-5601.
13 Olarte L, Barson WJ, Lin PL, et al. Impact of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on pneumococcal meningitis in US children. Clin Infect Dis. 2015;61(5):767-775.
14 Thigpen MC, Whitney CG, Messonnier NE, et al. Bacterial Meningitis in the United States, 1998–2007. NEJM. 2011;364(21):2016-2025.
15 GBD 2016 Lower Respiratory Infections Collaborators. Estimates of the global, regional, and national morbidity, mortality, and aetiologies of lower respiratory infections in 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Infect Dis. 2018 Nov; 18(11): 1191–1210.
16 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Active Bacterial Core (ABCs) surveillance. National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Atlanta, GA.
17 Ladhani, SN, Collins S, Djennad A, et al. Rapid increase in non-vaccine serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease in England and Wales, 2000–17: a prospective national observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2018;18(4):441-451.
18 Menéndez R, España PP, Pérez-Trallero E, et al. The burden of PCV13 serotypes in hospitalized pneumococcal pneumonia in Spain using a novel urinary antigen detection test. CAPA study. Vaccine. 2017;35(39):5264-5270.
19 Azzari C, Cortimiglia M, Nieddu F, et al. Pneumococcal serotype distribution in adults with invasive disease and in carrier children in Italy: Should we expect herd protection of adults through infants’ vaccination? Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2016;12(2):344-350.
20 Pivlishi T. Impact of PCV13 on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) burden and the serotype distribution in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. October 24th, 2018.
21 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Invasive pneumococcal disease. In: ECDC. Annual epidemiological report for 2016. Stockholm: ECDC; 2018.
22 Beall B, Chochua S, Gertz RE Jr, et al. A population-based descriptive atlas of invasive pneumococcal strains recovered within the U.S. during 2015-2016. Front Microbiol. 2018;19(9).
23 Pfizer Inc. NCT03828617 Study Design. Available at www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT03828617.
24 Pfizer Inc. NCT03835975 Study Design. Available at www.clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT03835975.
25 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Breakthrough Therapy https://www.fda.gov/forpatients/approvals/fast/ucm405397.htm 
26 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fast Track https://www.fda.gov/ForPatients/Approvals/Fast/ucm405399.htm 
27 Data on file. Pfizer Inc., New York, NY
28 Data on file. Pfizer Inc., New York, NY

Source: Pfizer Inc.

Posted: March 2020