The big pharma has two vaccines that have progressed to late-stage development, one for Clostridium difficile infection and the other for Staph aureus. Both represent big commercial opportunities, but bringing a new vaccine to market is a slow process.

US FDA advisory committee will weigh in on clinical development plan for SA4Ag, an S. aureus vaccine for prophylactic use, including whether safety and efficacy data from an ongoing, Phase II trial in spinal surgery patients are generalizable to other elective orthopedic surgical populations.

With the launch of Ibrance and a burgeoning immuno-oncology program, Pfizer’s oncology business is on track to generate substantial revenue and investors are starting to take note. Oncology President Liz Barrett and Chief Medical Officer Mace Rothenberg discuss Pfizer’s initiative to become a leader in the field.