Competition in the 'meningococcal' vaccine market, which is mainly vaccinated in pediatric clinics, has recently been reignited.

Although its domestic market is worth less than KRW 10 billion, the emergence of next-generation vaccines is expected to spark new competition among multinational pharmaceutical companies.

#This is because GSK, the market leader, has launched Bexsero (meningococcal serogroup B vaccine), a next-generation vaccine.

Professor Hyunmi Kang (Department of Pediatrics, St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul) explained the clinical implications of the introduction of Bexsero at an event held by GSK on the 16th.

Meningococcal meningitis is a statutory Class 2 infectious disease with a fatality rate of approximately 10-14%. It affects 500,000 patients worldwide each year.

The main symptoms include headache, fever, neck stiffness, vomiting, and decreased consciousness, and is often accompanied by petechiae or purpura fulminans. 11 to 19% of recovered patients may suffer from sequelae such as hearing loss, cognitive impairment, and neurological disorders, making it an important infection to prevent.

In particular, as meningococcal disease is transmitted person-to-person by respiratory droplets or secretions, vaccination is recommended for those who are about to enter a group setting.

For example, new recruits and college students who will be living in dormitories may want to consider meningococcal vaccination. Other recommended populations for meningococcal vaccination include travelers and residents of meningococcal endemic areas, such as Africa, and pilgrimage travelers to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Typical serogroups of meningococci that cause invasive meningococcal infections in humans include A, B, C, W, X, and Y. The most predominant meningococcal serogroup in Korea among these is serogroup B.

From 2010 to 2016, the proportion of Meningitis B cases identified in Korea was 28%, but from 2017 to 2020, the rate rose significantly to 78%.

In this scene, GSK launched Bexsero, a vaccine that prevents meningococcal serogroup B, in the Korean market 2 years after its approval in 2022.

Professor Kang assessed that Bexsero can play a significant role in addressing the unmet need in the field as it prevents meningococcal serogroup B.

"Globally, meningococcal infections are most prevalent in infants under one year of age compared to other age groups,” explained Professor Kang. “It causes bacterial meningitis and sepsis, and one to two out of 10 survivors also  experience brain damage, hearing loss, and limb loss.”

"The prevalence of meningococcal serogroups varies across countries and time periods, so it is not easy to predict. In Korea, serogroup B meningococcal infection cases have increased in recent years, increasing the need for its prevention.”

In Korea, GSK is leading the meningococcal vaccine market. The vaccines, which are non-reimbursed, cost KRW 150,000. The first quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine in Korea, GSK’s Menveo has been dominating the market with sales of KRW 5.2 billion based on IQVIA last year.

Sanofi's Menactra is also available, but the vaccine only generated KRW 500 million in sales during the same period.

In addition, Sanofi received domestic approval for Menquadfi Inj (meningococcal (A, C, Y, W) tetanus toxoid-conjugate vaccine) earlier this year.

"In countries such as the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Canada, the importance of preventing disease through immunization has been emphasized due to the high prevalence of meningococcal B," said Joon Bang, Director of Medical Affairs at GSK Korea. "The predominance of meningococcal B in Korea has made it necessary for us to introduce a vaccine to prevent infections caused by meningococcal B.”

"We are pleased to be able to contribute to the prevention of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B, which accounts for a high proportion of meningococcal disease in Korea with the launch of Bexsero. Together with Menveo, the company now owns a vaccine portfolio that can protect against a wide range of serogroups."