FDA Approves Merck’s Pneumococcal Vaccine

Bloomberg Law (6/17, Garde, Subscription Publication) reports, “Merck & Co. won US approval for a pneumococcal vaccine that threatens to unseat one of Pfizer Inc.’s biggest franchises.” Merck’s shot, Capvaxive, “is approved to prevent the bacterial infections behind pneumonia and meningitis for adults over 18, Merck said Monday.” The vaccine “has the potential to become the preferred vaccine given studies have shown it protects against bacterial strains that cause around 80% of pneumococcal diseases. Pfizer’s Prevnar works against 50%, to compare.”