This morning, Merck (MSD) announced their investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The 21-valent vaccine, V116, targets serotypes responsible for 85% of all pneumococcal disease.

The vaccine prevents invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumococcal pneumonia caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A/C, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B/C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F, and 35B. Pneumococcal disease can range in severity from ear and sinus infections to pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections.

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