Vaxcyte vaccine candidates contain aluminum, says Mizuho

Mizuho analyst Salim Syed comments on Outperform-rated Vaxcyte (PCVX) following reports that Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy is considering a review of licensed vaccines containing aluminum adjuvants. Important to Vaxcyte, its pneumococcal vaccine candidates contain aluminum adjuvant at levels similar to those used in Pfizer’s (PFE) Prevnar 20 and Merck’s (MRK) Vaxneuvance, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Mizuho says aluminum adjuvants have been widely used since the 1930’s and are in numerous vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for infants and children. The FDA has done work showing that aluminum exposure from vaccines is safe, the firm adds. It sees the “preponderance of evidence” as supporting the use of aluminum adjuvants in vaccines, and believes that a review, if done, of licensed vaccines containing aluminum adjuvant “will prove this out.”