Merck: Adult Pneumococcal Vaccine V116: Impact and Coverage

Scientists from Merck, Rahway, NJ, evaluated the potential impact of their novel adult-specific pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, V116, on invasive pneumococcal disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae.  V116 is a pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine Merck markets under the trade name CAPVAXIVE™.  Using surveillance data from multiple countries, the scientists compared the serotype coverage and expected incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease preventable by V116 against other licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccines like PCV20 (brand name Prevnar 20, manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals). Their findings suggest that V116 covers more invasive pneumococcal disease cases in adults 65 and over than PCV20.  The research highlights that V116 targets serotypes responsible for most invasive pneumococcal disease in older adults, potentially preventing more cases, particularly in the US. They conclude that an adult-specific vaccine like V116 could significantly reduce the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease, which remains high despite pediatric pneumococcal conjugate vaccine programs.

Joshi R, Ayele HT, Johnson KD, Velentgas P, Platt H, Saddier P. Anticipated impact of novel adult-specific pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Vaccine. 2025 Apr 19;53:127080. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127080. Epub 2025 Apr 13. PMID: 40220708.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X25003779