AstraZeneca Unveils Breakthrough Data on Vaccines and Antibody Therapies for Infections

AstraZeneca Unveils Breakthrough Data on Vaccines and Antibody Therapies for Infections

(IN BRIEF) At ESCMID Global 2025 in Vienna, AstraZeneca will present a comprehensive data package from its Vaccines & Immune Therapies portfolio, featuring 13 abstracts across oral and poster presentations. The Company aims to demonstrate its progress in developing innovative immunization strategies for serious bacterial infections and respiratory viruses, including 20 years of real-world data for Fluenz/FluMist. The presentations cover preclinical and clinical advancements, including novel monoclonal antibodies against high-priority bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, as well as insights into the persistent impact of RSV and hMPV on vulnerable populations. Additional sessions will address breakthrough COVID-19 vaccine research and the development of variant-agnostic thresholds for mAb efficacy. Overall, AstraZeneca’s data will illuminate its commitment to reducing the global burden of infectious diseases through innovative vaccine and antibody therapies.

(PRESS RELEASE) CAMBRIDGE, 8-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — AstraZeneca is set to unveil an impressive array of new data from its Vaccines & Immune Therapies portfolio at ESCMID Global 2025 in Vienna, Austria, from 11 to 15 April 2025. The data package, which encapsulates two decades of real-world evidence for Fluenz/FluMist alongside novel insights into preventing and treating serious bacterial infections and respiratory viral diseases, underscores the Company’s commitment to transforming global infectious disease management.

At the congress, AstraZeneca will present 13 abstracts, including two oral sessions and two late-breaking poster presentations. The information being shared spans the development of innovative immunizations—such as three groundbreaking monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed at high-priority pathogens—as well as comprehensive data that reveal the persistent burden of respiratory viruses. Senior leader Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice President of Vaccines & Immune Therapies, emphasized that these advances aim to counteract two major public health challenges: serious bacterial infections that claim an estimated 7.7 million lives annually, and respiratory infections that continue to impose substantial morbidity and healthcare costs.

The presentations include pioneering work on serious bacterial infections. For example, one oral presentation will focus on an mRNA-encoded, multi-mechanistic mAb combination designed to combat Staphylococcus aureus, including difficult-to-treat MRSA strains. Preclinical data will also be shared on gremubamab, an anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa bispecific human mAb intended to boost neutrophil killing of the bacterium in bronchiectasis patients—a condition affecting nearly one million people globally. Additionally, research on bispecific antibodies targeting Klebsiella pneumoniae will demonstrate protection in preclinical models against both bacteraemia and pneumonia caused by antibiotic-resistant serotypes, a critical endeavor given the pathogen’s role in over 700,000 deaths every year.

Complementing this work, AstraZeneca is presenting 20 years’ worth of real-world effectiveness data for Fluenz/FluMist—the only U.S.-approved live attenuated influenza vaccine that can be self- or caregiver-administered—illustrating comparable performance to traditional inactivated vaccines in children. The Company is also showcasing real-world studies on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in populations particularly vulnerable to severe respiratory illnesses, including patients with haematological malignancies. These late-breaking posters underscore that outcomes for RSV and hMPV infections parallel those for influenza and COVID-19, while data from Spain and France further detail the serious impact these viruses have on hospitalisation rates, mechanical ventilation usage, and mortality.

Additionally, AstraZeneca will reveal promising early data on AZD6563, an investigational COVID-19 mRNA VLP vaccine that has demonstrated a low dose’s ability to trigger cell-mediated immunity comparable to a licensed mRNA vaccine. Another set of data will bolster confidence in a SARS-CoV-2 variant-agnostic threshold, potentially serving as a surrogate endpoint for the efficacy of novel mAbs in preventing COVID-19 as new variants emerge.

The comprehensive program at ESCMID includes presentations on a wide array of topics, ranging from early science on bacterial and respiratory viral infections, to COVID-19 monoclonal antibody studies, and detailed real-world evidence analyses covering multiple respiratory viruses. The scheduled sessions highlight both the preclinical innovations and real-world clinical findings that underpin AstraZeneca’s strategy to advance prevention, improve treatment outcomes, and reduce the public health burden associated with serious infectious diseases.

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AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca’s innovative medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on social media @AstraZeneca.

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