In an exciting race reminiscent of their previous encounters, Pfizer and BioNTech have once again taken on their recurring competitor, Moderna, in the battle against COVID-19 and influenza. The two pharmaceutical giants have unveiled their early-phase findings on a novel mRNA combination vaccine that targets both of these viral adversaries. Additionally, they have laid out their intentions to initiate a crucial phase of testing.
Moderna had recently divulged the phase 1/2 results for their combination candidate, mRNA-1083, and promptly progressed into the next developmental stage, commencing pivotal trial dosing this week. This swift advancement by Moderna intensified the competitive landscape, prompting Pfizer and BioNTech to follow suit. Echoing the COVID-19 market competition, these partners have now revealed their plans to venture into phase 3 trials.
Upon scrutinizing the phase 1/2 data, Pfizer and BioNTech have committed to moving their lead formulation of the combination vaccine into pivotal trials in the forthcoming months. While detailed data remains forthcoming, the preliminary insights suggest that they may once again be on par with Moderna. Initial assessments of geometric mean titer (GMT) ratios, a gauge of antibody response, indicate that their vaccine outperformed licensed quadrivalent influenza shots for all matched flu strains. Moderna, in a similar vein, presented data segmented by age groups but arrived at the same conclusion, with their candidate showing GMT ratios of 1 or greater when compared to licensed flu vaccines.
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Moreover, Pfizer and BioNTech have affirmed that the safety profile of their primary combination vaccine formulation is consistent with that of their COVID-19 vaccine. Annaliesa Anderson, Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer, expressed the potential significance of a safe vaccine that safeguards against two prominent respiratory viruses.
“This vaccine has the potential to lessen the impact of two respiratory diseases with a single injection and may simplify immunization practices for providers, patients and healthcare systems all over the world. Today’s results are an important achievement towards our ambition of providing a broad portfolio of respiratory combination vaccines.”
– Anderson, Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer
Much like the scenario in the battle against COVID-19, healthcare providers, patients, and healthcare systems may soon have the option of choosing from at least two mRNA combination vaccines. Moderna appears to be leading the charge, with the biotech giant aiming to seek approval for its combination candidate in 2025, setting the stage for an exciting contest in the field of vaccine development.
