$128 Million Award Enhances Maternal Vaccine Access

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently announced grants totaling nearly US$128 million to support the development and accessibility of maternal vaccines for Group B Streptococcus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), two of the leading causes of death for infants in lower-income countries.

A $27.5 million grant to Pfizer Inc. will support the development of an affordable multidose vial for delivery of the RSV vaccine candidate in lower-income countries via public sector purchasers, including Gavi.

Pfizer's RSVpreF bivalent vaccine candidate (PF-06928316) comprises two preF proteins selected to optimize protection against RSV A and B. 

The work is co-funded by Pfizer and will include feasibility studies, clinical trial material manufacturing, and a trial to confirm that the multidose vial packaging designed for use in lower-income countries is comparable with what is used in high-income country markets.

The development of RSV vaccines have been identified as a priority for the World Health Organization. 

As of October 10, 2022, there are no U.S. FDA-approved vaccines for these infections, and treatment is too often out of reach in lower-income settings.

"If successful and approved or licensed, Pfizer's vaccine candidates against GBS and RSV could have a profound impact on the health of young infants at a time when they are most vulnerable against these potentially devastating infections, particularly in lower-income countries where prevalence is higher," said Annaliesa Anderson, Ph.D., SVP and chief scientific officer, vaccine research and development, Pfizer, in a related press release on September 28, 2022.

"As part of Pfizer's Accord for a Healthier World program focused on establishing access to our medicines and vaccines on a not-for-profit basis, the support for the vaccine candidates from the Gates Foundation will enable faster and more equitable deployment of the vaccines to these regions."

Additional RSV vaccine and antibody treatment news are posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/RSV.

Note: This article was manually curated and is not paid content.