Scientific Innovation
Vaccines
Every day, we work toward a healthier world by taking on bacterial, viral and infectious diseases that threaten people around the globe.
We do this by inventing, developing and championing vaccines, which provide essential health benefits to people of all ages; in other words, Pfizer helps people be “Ready for Life.” We are also progressing and shaping the future of vaccines through investment in research and development (R&D), technology and expanding access to those in need.
Expanding Pneumococcal Protection
In 2016, Prevnar 13® (Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]) – known as Prevenar 13 outside the United States (U.S.) – became the only pneumococcal vaccine approved in the U.S. for patients six weeks of age through adulthood when it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for an expanded age indication to include adults 18 through 49 years of age. This builds on the already approved indications for adults 50 years and older for active immunization for the prevention of pneumonia and invasive disease caused by 13 Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F). Prevnar 13 is also approved for children six weeks through 17 years of age (prior to the 18th birthday) for the prevention of invasive disease caused by the 13 strains of S. pneumoniae in the vaccine, and for children six weeks through five years (prior to the sixth birthday) for the prevention of ear infections caused by seven of the 13 strains in the vaccine.
Pfizer also received approval from the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) to market Prevenar 13 in China for the prevention of invasive diseases (including bacteremic pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia and bacteremia) caused by S. Pneumoniae serotypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F in infants and children aged six weeks to 15 months. S. Pneumoniae is the most common cause of invasive disease as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections.
In Turkey, Prevenar 13 was officially recommended and funded by the Turkish Ministry of Health, as part of the recently launched National Adult Immunization Program, for the prevention of pneumococcal diseases of adults over 65 years of age and aged 18-64 with comorbid diseases. This funding builds on the successful pediatric National Immunization Program and is expected to help protect over 15 million eligible adults in Turkey.
Prevenar 13’s reach is truly global, approved for infants and young children in more than 150 countries, and for adults aged 50 years and older in more than 100 countries.
Manufacturing and delivering world-class vaccines is complex. For example, one dose of Prevenar 13 requires 580 manufacturing steps, over 1,700 employees, 678 quality tests, 400 different raw materials, and more than two-and-a-half years to manufacture from start to finish.