Merck announced results from STRIDE-10, a Phase 3 trial evaluating V116, the company’s investigational, adult-specific 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, at the 34th European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Global) in Barcelona, Spain. The trial evaluated the immunogenicity, tolerability and safety of V116 compared to PPSV23 (pneumococcal vaccine, polyvalent [23-valent]) in adults 50 years of age and older who had not previously received a pneumococcal vaccine.

“Invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumococcal pneumonia represent significant public health challenges, particularly among older adult populations and those with risk conditions,” said Dr. Walter Orenstein, professor emeritus of medicine, epidemiology, global health and pediatrics at Emory University and member of Merck’s Scientific Advisory Committee. “These positive results show that V116 has the potential to help prevent invasive pneumococcal disease among adult populations.”

“Even with the availability of current pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for adults, gaps in serotype coverage for invasive pneumococcal disease persist,” said Dr. Eliav Barr, senior vice president, head of global clinical development and chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories. “These data add to the evidence supporting the potential for V116 to become an important new preventative option for adults, with results showing V116 elicited immune responses to the serotypes responsible for the majority of adult invasive pneumococcal disease.”

In addition to the clinical data on V116, Merck also presented findings that suggest V116 may help to reduce the health and economic burden associated with invasive pneumococcal disease and non-bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia among adults in France, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands.

V116 is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).