Pfizer Receives Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Meningococcal B Vaccine Candidate

FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to Pfizer’s vaccine candidate, bivalent rLP2086, which is currently under investigation for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B in persons 10–25 years of age. Disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B has been estimated at between 20,000 and 80,000 cases per year globally and can result in death or significant long-term disabilities, including brain damage and hearing loss, Pfizer noted in the press release.

Pfizer is conducting a global clinical development program for rLP2086, which includes both Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials evaluating more than 20,000 participants, about 14,000 of whom will receive the investigational vaccine, according to the press release. Pfizer intends to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) to FDA for bivalent rLP2086 by mid-2014.