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

Dive Brief:

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 arent 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, Modernas 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 reporteda 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 BioNTechintend to press forward with combination shots. On Friday, executives from both companies claimed theyre committed to pursuing multi-pronged vaccines. Todays results provide insight and direction towards achieving this goal, said Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizers 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.

Theyre 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.

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