FDA approves Prevnar 20

Pfizer’s pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 20, which attacks 20 different strains of the bacterium, is approved for adults 18 and over. It has now received FDA approval following a priority review, and follows hot on the heels of the success of Pfizer’s Comirnaty, the Covid-19 vaccine it collaborates with BioNTech on, making that partnership the most reliable and prolific supplier of coronavirus vaccines across the globe. Prevnar 20 will tackle the same 13 serotypes included in its predecessor Prevnar 13, and an additional seven serotypes associated with high death rates, meningitis and antibiotic resistance . Whilst children account for around 80% of the market for pneumococcal vaccinations, Pfizer’s application for children probably won’t come before the latter months of 2022.

Head of vaccine R&D at Pfizer, Kathrin Jansen, said on Tuesday: “Today’s approval of Prevnar 20 marks a significant step forward in our ongoing fight to help address the burden of pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia in adults, and broadens global protection against more disease-causing serotypes than any other pneumococcal conjugate vaccine”