Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and
Canada, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has accepted for Priority Review a supplemental Biologics License
Application (sBLA) for VAXNEUVANCE (Pneumococcal 15-valent
Conjugate Vaccine) for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal
disease in children 6 weeks through 17 years of age. The FDA grants
priority review to medicines and vaccines that, if approved, would
provide a significant improvement in the safety or effectiveness of
the treatment or prevention of a serious condition. The FDA set a
Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), or target action date, of
April 1, 2022.
“VAXNEUVANCE has the potential to provide meaningful protection
against invasive pneumococcal disease for children and infants by
targeting pneumococcal strains, or serotypes, that contribute to
substantial disease burden, including serotype 3, and broadening
coverage to additional disease-causing serotypes, 22F and 33F,
which are not included in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)
currently available for this population,” said Dr. Roy Baynes,
senior vice president and head of global clinical development,
chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories. “We look
forward to working with the U.S. FDA as it reviews what would be
the first new option in pediatric pneumococcal vaccination in over
a decade.”
The sBLA is supported by results from Phase 2 and Phase 3
clinical studies in pediatric populations including infants,
children, and adolescents. These studies support the potential use
of VAXNEUVANCE in a variety of clinical settings, including
immunization of infants and toddlers as well as of special
populations at increased risk for pneumococcal disease, such as
children with HIV infection or sickle cell disease. The submission
also includes data supporting the potential use of VAXNEUVANCE as
part of a mixed dosing regimen following initiation of an infant
vaccination schedule with PCV13 as well as in a catch-up setting
for older children who are either pneumococcal vaccine-naïve or who
previously received a partial or full regimen of a lower-valency
pediatric PCV.
Invasive pneumococcal disease can cause serious and potentially
life-threatening infections in infants and children. Children under
the age of 2 are particularly vulnerable to pneumococcal infection,
and incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease remains highest in
the first year of life. There are 100 different types of
pneumococcal bacteria, of which some continue to put children at
risk, including serotypes 22F, 33F and 3, which represent more than
a quarter of invasive pneumococcal disease in children under the
age of 5.
About VAXNEUVANCE (Pneumococcal 15-valent Conjugate
Vaccine)
VAXNEUVANCE, Merck’s 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine,
consists of purified capsular polysaccharides from S. pneumoniae
serotypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, 22F, 23F
and 33F individually conjugated to CRM197 carrier protein.
VAXNEUVANCE is indicated for active immunization of adults 18 years
of age and older for the prevention of invasive disease caused by
the S. pneumoniae serotypes contained in the vaccine. It is
currently under investigation in the pediatric population.
VAXNEUVANCE previously received Breakthrough Therapy designation
from the FDA for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in
pediatric patients 6 weeks through 17 years of age.
Select Safety Information for VAXNEUVANCE in Adults 18 Years
of Age and Older
Do not administer VAXNEUVANCE to individuals with a severe
allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of
VAXNEUVANCE or to diphtheria toxoid.
Some individuals with altered immunocompetence, including those
receiving immunosuppressive therapy, may have a reduced immune
response to VAXNEUVANCE.
The most commonly reported solicited adverse reactions in
individuals 18 through 49 years of age were: injection site pain
(75.8%), fatigue (34.3%), myalgia (28.8%), headache (26.5%),
injection site swelling (21.7%), injection site erythema (15.1%)
and arthralgia (12.7%).
The most commonly reported solicited adverse reactions in
individuals 50 years of age and older were: injection site pain
(66.8%), myalgia (26.9%), fatigue (21.5%), headache (18.9%),
injection site swelling (15.4%), injection site erythema (10.9%)
and arthralgia (7.7%).
Vaccination with VAXNEUVANCE may not protect all vaccine
recipients.
About Merck
For over 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside the United
States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward
medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging
diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We
demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by
increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies,
programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the
forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten
people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as
HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be
the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the
world. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with
us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc.,
Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J.,
USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within
the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are
based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s
management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.
There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that
the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or
that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying
assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize,
actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general
industry conditions and competition; general economic factors,
including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations;
the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease
(COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and
health care legislation in the United States and internationally;
global trends toward health care cost containment; technological
advances, new products and patents attained by competitors;
challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining
regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict
future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays;
financial instability of international economies and sovereign
risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and
other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to
litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory
actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause
results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s 2020
Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company’s other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s
Internet site (www.sec.gov).
Please see Prescribing Information for VAXNEUVANCE
(Pneumococcal 15-valent Conjugate Vaccine) at
https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/vaxneuvance/vaxneuvance_pi.pdf.
and Patient Information at
https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/vaxneuvance/vaxneuvance_ppi.pdf.
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