Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) today announced that the Community-Acquired
Pneumonia Immunization Trial in Adults (CAPiTA), the landmark study of
approximately 85,000 subjects evaluating the efficacy of Prevenar 13*
(pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]) in
adults 65 years of age and older, achieved its primary clinical
objective and both secondary clinical objectives. CAPiTA is the largest
double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled vaccine efficacy trial ever
conducted in adults.
The primary objective of the study was to demonstrate efficacy of
Prevenar 13 against a first episode of vaccine-type community-acquired
pneumonia (CAP). The CAPiTA study also met both secondary objectives,
which were efficacy against (i) a first episode of
non-bacteremic/non-invasive vaccine-type CAP and (ii) a first episode of
vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).
Vaccine-type CAP (VT-CAP) was defined as CAP caused by any S.
pneumoniae serotype included in the vaccine.
Non-bacteremic/non-invasive VT-CAP was defined as CAP in which
vaccine-type S. pneumoniae caused the pneumonia, but was not
detected concurrently in the bloodstream or any other normally sterile
site. Vaccine-type IPD was defined as a case in which vaccine-type S.
pneumoniae was present in the bloodstream or any other normally
sterile site, with or without pneumonia.
“We are pleased with the outcome of the CAPiTA study, which demonstrated
that Prevenar 13 can prevent vaccine-type pneumococcal
community-acquired pneumonia in adults,” said Dr. William Gruber, senior
vice president, Vaccine Clinical Research, Pfizer.
“Pneumococcal pneumonia is a significant cause of illness and death in
adults around the world, and the potential to reduce the burden of this
disease through direct vaccination of adults represents a meaningful
public health benefit,” said Dr. Emilio A. Emini, senior vice president,
Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer. “Pfizer looks forward to
sharing the CAPiTA data with U.S. and worldwide regulatory authorities,
and vaccine technical committees, to help inform decisions regarding
potential Prevenar 13 label and recommendation updates.”
The CAPiTA data will be an important component in any consideration of
potential new or updated Prevenar 13 recommendations for adults. In
addition, other key factors will be taken into consideration, such as
the current burden of pneumococcal disease in adults.
Prevnar 13 was licensed by the FDA under an accelerated approval process
to address an unmet medical need in older adults. As a requirement of
the accelerated approval pathway, Pfizer conducted CAPiTA to verify
clinical benefit.
Detailed results will be presented at the 9th International Symposium on
Pneumococci and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD) in Hyderabad, India, on
March 12, 2014, during the late-breaker session from 2:30 p.m. to 4:10
p.m. IST/5 a.m. to 6:40 a.m. EDT.
About Pneumococcal Disease
Pneumococcal disease refers to a group of illnesses caused by S.
pneumoniae bacteria.1 Invasive pneumococcal disease
occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream, or another site that is
normally sterile.2 Non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia occurs
when the bacteria cause infection in the lungs but are not detected in
the blood concurrently.1 In adults, pneumonia is the most
common presentation of pneumococcal disease.1 For every one
case of invasive pneumococcal pneumonia in adults, it is estimated that
at least three cases of non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia occur.3
While non-invasive forms of pneumococcal disease are typically more
common, the invasive types of disease are generally more severe.4
About CAPiTA
As part of its regulatory commitments under the FDA’s accelerated
approval program, Pfizer conducted the CAPiTA study, which was designed
to evaluate the efficacy of Prevnar 13 in the prevention of vaccine-type
pneumococcal pneumonia. CAPiTA is the largest double-blind, randomized,
placebo-controlled vaccine efficacy trial ever conducted in adults. It
involved approximately 85,000 subjects aged 65 years and older. The
trial was conducted by Julius Clinical, a spin-off of the Julius Center
for Health Sciences and Primary Care, a division of the University
Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. Fifty-eight sentinel
hospitals were used for the surveillance of CAP and IPD. The safety
profile of Prevenar 13 observed in CAPiTA was consistent with studies
previously conducted in adults. The safety data will be included in the
presentation at ISPPD.
About Prevenar 13
Prevenar 13 was first introduced for use in infants and young children
in December 2009 in Europe and is now approved for such use in more than
120 countries worldwide, including the United States and Japan. It
is the most widely used pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in the
world, and more than 640 million doses of Prevenar 7-valent/Prevenar 13
have been distributed worldwide. In addition, Prevenar 13 is approved
for use in adults 50 years of age and older in more than 90 countries,
and is also approved in the United States and European Union (EU) for
use in older children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years. Recently,
Prevenar 13 was also approved in the EU for use in adults 18 to 49 years
of age.
INDICATIONS FOR PREVNAR 13®
-
Prevnar 13® is a vaccine approved for adults 50 years of
age and older for the prevention of pneumococcal pneumonia and
invasive disease caused by 13 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains
(1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, and 23F). This
indication is based upon immune responses to the vaccine
-
For children 6 weeks through 17 years of age, Prevnar 13®
is approved for the prevention of invasive disease caused by the 13
vaccine strains, and for children 6 weeks through 5 years for the
prevention of otitis media caused by 7 of the 13 strains
-
Prevnar 13® is not 100% effective and will only help
protect against the 13 strains included in the vaccine
-
Effectiveness when given less than 5 years after a pneumococcal
polysaccharide vaccine is not known
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
-
Prevnar 13® should not be given to anyone with a history of
severe allergic reaction to any component of Prevnar 13® or
any diphtheria toxoid–containing vaccine
-
Children and adults with weakened immune systems (eg, HIV infection,
leukemia) may have a reduced immune response
-
In adults, immune responses to Prevnar 13® were reduced
when given with injected seasonal flu vaccine
-
In adults, the common side effects were pain, redness, or swelling at
the injection site, limitation of arm movement, fatigue, headache,
muscle pain, joint pain, decreased appetite, chills, or rash
-
A temporary pause of breathing following vaccination has been observed
in some infants born prematurely
-
The most commonly reported serious adverse events in infants and
toddlers were bronchiolitis (an infection of the lungs) (0.9%),
gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and small intestine)
(0.9%), and pneumonia (0.9%)
-
In children 6 weeks through 17 years, the most common side effects
were tenderness, redness, or swelling at the injection site,
irritability, decreased appetite, decreased or increased sleep, and
fever.
-
Ask your health care provider about the risks and benefits of Prevnar
13®. Only a health care provider can decide if Prevnar 13®
is right for you
For the full prescribing information for Prevnar 13, please click here http://www.pfizer.com/products/#prevnar13.
Pfizer Inc: Working together for a healthier world™
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies
to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive
to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery,
development and manufacture of health care products. Our global
portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's
best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues
work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness,
prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases
of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's
premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with
health care providers, governments and local communities to support and
expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For
more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who
rely on us. To learn more, please visit us at www.pfizer.com.
DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information contained in this release is as of
February 24, 2014. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update
forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of
new information or future events or developments.
This release contains forward-looking information that involves
substantial risks and uncertainties regarding Prevnar 13/Prevenar 13,
including its potential benefits, and about the CAPiTA trial. Such risks
and uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainty
concerning the commercial impact of the results of the CAPiTA
trial; uncertainty concerning whether and when regulatory authorities in
various jurisdictions will update the label and vaccine technical committees
in various jurisdictions will update their recommendations with respect
to the use of Prevnar 13/Prevenar 13 in adults based on the results of
the CAPiTA trial and other factors; whether and when regulatory
submissions may be made in jurisdictions other than the U.S. for
Prevenar 13 for the prevention of pneumococcal pneumonia in adults
caused by the 13 serotypes in Prevenar 13, and whether and when
regulatory authorities in such jurisdictions will approve any such
submissions, as well as their decisions regarding labeling and other
matters that could affect the availability and commercial potential of
that additional indication for Prevenar 13 in those jurisdictions; and
competitive developments.
A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in
Pfizer’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2012 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.
* Trademark. Prevnar 13® is the trade name in the United
States, Canada, and Taiwan.
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pneumococcal
disease. In: Atkinson W, Wolfe S, Hamborsky J, eds. Epidemiology and
Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. 12th ed., second
printing. Washington DC: Public Health Foundation, 2012.
2 Musher DM. Streptococcus pneumoniae. In: Mandell GL,
Douglas JE, Dolin R, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles
and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Elsevier:
2010.
3 Said MA, Johnson HL, Nonyane BAS, et al. Estimating the
burden of pneumococcal disease among adults: a systematic review and
meta-analysis of diagnostic techniques. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(4):e60273.
4 World Health Organization (WHO). Immunization, Vaccines and
Biologicals. Pneumoccocal Vaccines. 2003. http://archives.who.int/vaccines/en/pneumococcus.shtml.
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