Pfizer, BioNTech stumble in effort to develop combination flu, COVID shot

Dive Brief:

• Pfizer and BioNTech on Friday said a combination flu and COVID-19 shot they’ve been developing met one of its main goals in a Phase 3 trial but missed another, leaving the vaccine’s future in doubt. 
• The study tested Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine against separately administered, marketed COVID and flu shots in more than 8,000 people between the ages of 18 and 64. While the combination vaccine spurred a comparable immune response against COVID and influenza A, it didn’t meet that mark against the “B” strain of the flu.  
• As a result, two companies are “evaluating adjustments” that would improve the vaccine’s performance against influenza B while discussing next steps with health authorities. Shares of Pfizer and BioNTech each ticked down slightly midday Friday. 

Dive Insight:

Pfizer and BioNTech are in a race with rival Moderna to develop vaccines that can simultaneously protect against multiple respiratory viruses, hoping the convenience of one shot will spur an uptick in flagging immunizations. 

The undertaking has proven difficult, forcing the makers of mRNA shots to search for doses that are potent against multiple pathogens while minimizing side effects. The eventual financial reward is also unclear, as the timing of COVID and flu spikes aren’t currently lining up, complicating the utility of a single shot at a particular time, Evercore ISI analyst Umer Raffat wrote in a research note. 

Both groups have found trouble with influenza B viruses, which are less common than their “A” counterparts.

For example, Moderna’s initial flu vaccine struggled against influenza B before adjustments led to the success of a combination shot in a Phase 3 trial earlier this year. Pfizer last year reported a flu-only shot also failed to generate a sufficient immune response against influenza B, and on Friday reported similar issues with its combination vaccine. 

Those stumbles could leave the door open for Sanofi and Novavax, which this year partnered to develop a protein-based combination vaccine. Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger noted that “dose optimization is well-characterized” with those shots, potentially making their path through testing less complicated. 

Still, Pfizer and BioNTech intend to press forward with combination shots. On Friday, executives from both companies claimed they’re committed to pursuing multi-pronged vaccines. “Today’s results provide insight and direction towards achieving this goal,” said Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer’s head of vaccine R&D, in the statement.  

“We are dedicated to developing combination vaccines which provide broader protection against multiple respiratory diseases,” added BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin.

They’re also still working on a vaccine only directed at the flu. A Phase 2 study of a new “trivalent” shot spurred a meaningful immune response against influenza B. By that measure, it also surpassed an existing shot against influenza A, the companies said. 

This post has been syndicated from a third-party source. View the original article here.