Key Finding

Adaptations to existing vaccines account for half of vaccine R&D projects

The 2017 Access to Vaccines Index has evaluated the pipelines of eight vaccine companies: Daiichi Sankyo, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, Sanofi, Serum Institute of India and Takeda. The industry is responding to cases where existing vaccines need to be adapted: such projects account for 48% of projects in the pipeline (43/89), with one project aiming for multiple adaptations.

The characteristics of a vaccine – such as its thermostability, number of doses required, or the serotypes it targets – have a substantial impact on how immunisation programmes can be effectively implemented, particularly in low-resource settings. Often, the best combination of characteristics becomes apparent once a vaccine has been rolled out in real-world settings. Once this happens, further R&D is required to improve the vaccine.

Figure 8: Vaccine adaptations account for half of R&D projects; individual company pipelines vary

^{* Serum Institute of India's pipeline is based on publicly available sources. It has additional projects for which the data are confidential.}

Some 30% of adaptive R&D projects involve multivalent vaccines. For example, Serum Institute of India is developing a 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). It targets the serotypes prevalent in 70% of the population affected by pneumococcal disease in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Meanwhile, 28% of adaptive R&D projects focus on either characterising or improving the temperature stability of a vaccine, and 44% target a range of other improvements, including in efficacy, immunisation schedules, yield of production, or formulations to allow for easier administration.

Companies are working on wide variety of vaccine adaptations
Taken as a group, the 43 adaptive R&D projects are diverse, with companies working toward a wide variety of adaptations. For example, GSK is characterising the thermostability of its PCV Synflorix®; Sanofi is doing the same for its cholera vaccine Shanchol®; and in 2015, Merck & Co., Inc. received Controlled Temperature Chain approval for its HPV vaccine Gardasil®. Five projects focus on approving vaccines for use in lower age groups: including GSK for influenza vaccines and Sanofi for a meningoccocal vaccine. Serum Institute of India received approval in late 2014 for children under one year to receive a 5 µg dose of its meningococcal A vaccine (MenAfriVac®).

Figure 9: Companies are working toward a wide variety of vaccine adaptations

^{Companies have 43 adaptive vaccine R&D projects for diseases in scope. Adaptive R&D projects for multivalent vaccines are the most common, followed by temperature-stability projects.}

How are vaccine companies protecting against the threat of emerging infectious diseases?

Emerging Infectious Diseases pose a threat to the health security of all nations, regardless of where an infection first emerges. Several major outbreaks in recent years underscore this point. The 2017 Access to Vaccines Index examines the threat of emerging infectious diseases to global health security and asks whether vaccine companies are doing enough to mitigate against outbreaks.

Companies take diverse approaches to aligning supply with demand

The 2017 Access to Vaccines Index evaluated the approaches taken by six companies in aligning vaccine supply with global demand. All six companies implement a combination of the elements assessed. No particular combination is identified as best practice, but implementing more elements is expected to better prevent shortages. Each company's approach is likely to be linked to its portfolio, structure and business model. The six companies evaluated were: GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, Sanofi and Serum Institute of India.

Companies have four Ebola vaccine candidates in the pipeline

WHO has identified an urgent need for vaccine, diagnostic and therapeutic R&D targeting the Ebola virus. The Access to Vaccines Index found that three companies evaluated had Ebola vaccine candidates in the pipeline in the period of analysis: GSK, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co., Inc. During the period of analysis, Pfizer discontinued its discovery stage research into Ebola.

Adaptations to existing vaccines account for half of vaccine R&D projects

Explore further

How are vaccine companies protecting against the threat of emerging infectious diseases?

Companies take diverse approaches to aligning supply with demand

Companies have four Ebola vaccine candidates in the pipeline