Stock Reaction
Vaxcyte Inc (NASDAQ: PCVX) shares rose 6.3% in after‑hours trading on Thursday after the company announced two senior leadership appointments and a narrowed timeline for data read‑out from its VAX‑31 vaccine trial.
Executive Appointments
The company named Luis Jodar as Chief Medical Officer. Jodar joins from Pfizer Inc, where he spent 17 years and most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, overseeing global medical and scientific functions for programs such as Prevnar 13, Prevnar 20, Abrysvo, Comirnaty and Paxlovid. He holds a Ph.D. and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
David McAvoy was appointed Chief Legal Officer. McAvoy brings more than 30 years of legal experience in the biopharmaceutical sector. He comes from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, where he was Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, leading a 235‑person legal, compliance and government‑affairs organization. Previously, he served as General Counsel of Endocyte Inc during its $2.1 billion acquisition by Novartis AG and spent 27 years in senior legal roles at Eli Lilly and Company.
VAX‑31 Trial Timeline Update
Vaxcyte now expects topline safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data from the VAX‑31 adult Phase 3 OPUS‑1 trial by the end of October 2026, tightening its earlier guidance that projected data in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Trial Scope and Enrollment
The VAX‑31 adult Phase 3 program comprises three fully enrolled clinical trials that together have dosed 6,191 adults, of which approximately 3,500 have received the VAX‑31 vaccine candidate. The studies are designed to generate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data needed to support potential licensure for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia.
Future Data Releases
Vaxcyte also indicated that safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data from the OPUS‑2 and OPUS‑3 Phase 3 trials are slated for announcement in the first half of 2027.