BioNTech and Pfizer announced they are initiating a Phase 1 trial evaluating a single-dose mRNA-based combination vaccine candidate against influenza and COVID-19.
The US-based study includes 180 participants aged 18 to 64. The first participants were dosed this week. The follow-up period for each participant is 6 months in total.
Randomized phase 1 trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a nucleoside-modified RNA (modRNA)-based combination vaccine combining Pfizer’s quadrivalent modRNA-based influenza vaccine candidate . gIRV (22/23) – Currently in Phase 3 clinical development – Pfizer/BioNTech Omicron-compatible bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2 (Original/Omicron BA.4/BA.5). Both were based on BioNTech’s proprietary mRNA platform technology.
Annalisa Anderson, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief scientific officer for vaccine research and development at Pfizer, said: […] Even with existing seasonal influenza vaccines, the virus burden is severe worldwide, causing thousands of deaths and hospitalizations each year. ”
BioNTech CEO and co-founder Professor Ugur Sahin, MD, said: ”
Influenza viruses continually mutate to evade the host’s immune response, which causes seasonal variations in circulating strains. Pfizer’s gIRV encodes hemagglutinin, the influenza virus surface protein involved in initiating infection, and is recommended for his 2022/23 northern hemisphere for four different influenza strains.
Professor Sahin added: This will help further develop the infectious disease pipeline and enable patient-centered vaccination approaches. ”
Pfizer and BioNTech will share development costs in the fourth collaboration between companies in the infectious disease space, following an influenza vaccine collaboration launched in 2018. COVID-19 vaccine A collaboration that started in 2020 and a collaboration for this year’s shingles vaccine.
There has recently been a backlash after it was revealed that Pfizer/Biontech plans to charge up to $130 for the Covid vaccine, Comminati, once the Covid vaccine and treatments are moved to commercial health platforms in the US. continued.
On a more positive note, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was approved last month for children ages 5 to 11 and was approved by the FDA in August for children ages 12 and older.
