Capvaxive may be prescribed at general hospitals in Korea

Passed drug committees at medical institutions, including Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital

Adults aged 50 and older account for 76.9% of domestic infections

The pneumococcal vaccine ‘Capvaxive’ may be prescribed at general hospitals in Korea.

According to industry sources, MSD Korea’s adult-only 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Capvaxive has passed the Drug Committees (DC) of medical institutions, including Big 5 tertiary general hospitals such as Seoul National University Hospital and Sinchon Severance Hospital, as well as Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Sun Medical Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, Andong Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, Pohang Semyeong Christianity Hospital, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, and Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital.

Since its official launch in March, it appears to be rapidly establishing a vaccination environment.

Capvaxive is an adult-specific 21-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). In August 2025, it obtained approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia caused by serotypes (3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F, and 35B) in adults aged 18 and older.

The 21 serotypes account for up to 85% of the serotypes causing adult invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in the U.S. and about 74% in Korea.

In particular, the vaccine newly includes 8 unique serotypes that were not included in any existing vaccine - 15A, 15C, 16F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, and 35B. These serotypes reportedly account for about 30% of IPD in adults aged 65 and older in the U.S.

After PCVs were introduced into Korea’s pediatric immunization program, the incidence of IPD in children declined significantly, and a decrease in the incidence of IPD caused by serotypes included in the vaccine has also been observed in adults due to the indirect protective effect of herd immunity among children.

However, the incidence of IPD in adults is currently higher than in children, and due to serotype replacement, non-vaccine serotypes account for a significant portion of pneumococcal disease in adults.

In particular, despite the very high fatality rate among the elderly aged 65 and older and those with underlying conditions when they contract IPD or pneumonia, there has been no vaccine option specialized for adults. As a result, there has been an unmet need for a tailored vaccine centered on the key serotypes associated with disease burden in adults.

In fact, pneumonia ranked as the third leading cause of death in Korea as of 2024 and the leading cause of death among respiratory diseases. As of 2025, 76.9% of pneumococcal infections in Korea were reported to occur in adults aged 50 and older.

Meanwhile, in STRIDE-3, Capvaxive’s pivotal clinical study, immunogenicity was assessed 30 days after vaccination in adults aged 18 and older with no previous vaccination experience. Capvaxive met non-inferiority criteria for all 10 serotypes commonly included in PCV20, the comparator. Among the 11 serotypes included only in Capvaxive, 10 met the criteria for immunogenic superiority compared with the comparator.