Vaxcyte Appoints Chief Medical Officer and Chief Legal Officer; Narrows Guidance for Expected VAX-31 OPUS-1 Topline Data
Vaxcyte strengthens medical and legal leadership as it nears key VAX-31 Phase 3 OPUS-1 topline data and prepares for potential commercialization steps.
Rhea-AI Summary
Vaxcyte (PCVX) appointed Luis Jodar, Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer and David McAvoy, J.D., as Chief Legal Officer and tightened guidance for the VAX-31 adult Phase 3 OPUS-1 topline readout to the end of October 2026.
Jodar previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at Pfizer, where he helped lead clinical development and medical affairs for pneumococcal conjugate vaccines Prevnar 13 and Prevnar 20, as well as other major vaccine and antiviral programs. McAvoy most recently led a 235-person legal, compliance and government affairs organization at Teva and has prior experience steering biopharma companies through IPOs and a $2.1 billion acquisition.
The VAX-31 adult Phase 3 OPUS program includes three fully enrolled trials (OPUS-1, OPUS-2 and OPUS-3), with 6,191 adults dosed, about 3,500 of whom received VAX-31. Additional OPUS-2 and OPUS-3 data are anticipated in the first half of 2027.
Positive
- Topline OPUS-1 data timing narrowed to the end of October 2026, providing investors with a more precise Phase 3 readout window.
- Fully enrolled VAX-31 adult OPUS program with 6,191 adults dosed, including approximately 3,500 who received VAX-31, supports a broad safety and immunogenicity dataset.
- Experienced CMO hire: Luis Jodar brings nearly 20 years at Pfizer in pneumococcal conjugate vaccine development and medical affairs, including work on Prevnar 13 and Prevnar 20.
- Seasoned Chief Legal Officer: David McAvoy adds more than three decades of biopharma legal leadership, including leading a 235-person organization at Teva and experience with IPO and $2.1 billion M&A transactions.
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Previous Clinical trial Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 02 | Phase 1 initiation | Neutral | -1.0% | First participant dosed in VAX-A1 Phase 1 study; topline data expected in 2H 2027. |
| Mar 23 | Phase 3 enrollment | Positive | +2.2% | Enrollment completed for OPUS-1 and OPUS-2, with OPUS-3 enrollment ongoing. |
| Mar 18 | Phase 1/2 data | Positive | -0.6% | Published VAX-31 data reported non-inferiority and superiority across specified serotypes. |
| Feb 11 | Phase 3 initiation | Neutral | -0.7% | First participants dosed in OPUS-3, expanding the VAX-31 adult Phase 3 program. |
| Dec 08 | Phase 3 initiation | Neutral | -0.7% | First participants dosed in the OPUS Phase 3 pivotal noninferiority trial. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Tag-specific clinical-trial announcements produced mostly negative 24-hour reactions, with an average move of -0.14% and four divergences from the underlying news sentiment.
Key Terms
immunogenicity medical
noninferiority medical
biologics license application regulatory
pneumococcal conjugate vaccines medical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Luis Jodar, Ph.D., Former Pfizer Chief Medical Officer for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases with Extensive Leadership Experience Across Clinical Development and Medical Affairs for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Prevnar 13 and Prevnar 20, Joins Vaxcyte as Chief Medical Officer
David McAvoy, J.D., Former Teva Chief Legal Officer, Joins Vaxcyte as Chief Legal Officer
Topline Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity Data from VAX-31 Adult Phase 3 OPUS-1 Pivotal Trial Expected by End of October 2026
SAN CARLOS, Calif., Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaxcyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCVX), a clinical-stage vaccine innovation company, today announced the appointments of experienced industry leaders Luis Jodar, Ph.D. as Chief Medical Officer and David McAvoy, J.D. as Chief Legal Officer. The Company also announced that topline safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data from the VAX-31 adult Phase 3 OPUS-1 trial are now expected by the end of October, narrowing its previously communicated guidance of disclosing topline trial data in the fourth quarter of this year.
“Luis and David join Vaxcyte at a pivotal time for the Company,” said Grant Pickering, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Vaxcyte. “Luis is one of the world’s foremost authorities on pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), with nearly 20 years at Pfizer helping to lead the clinical development and medical affairs work behind the company’s foundational PCV franchise. He takes the helm of our clinical and medical organizations as we approach the OPUS-1 topline readout, now expected by the end of October, and prepare for the planned Biologics License Application (BLA) submission and potential launch. David has led legal organizations across the biopharmaceutical industry and spent decades counseling organizations through drug development, approval and commercialization. These appointments deepen the leadership bench we are building to carry VAX-31 through to potential commercialization.”
About Luis Jodar, Ph.D.
Dr. Luis Jodar has more than 30 years of experience in vaccine development and launch across industry, international health organizations and academia. He spent 17 years at Pfizer Inc., most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, leading global medical and scientific functions and serving as a senior decision-maker in clinical development and regulatory strategy for programs including Prevnar 13®, Prevnar 20®, Abrysvo®, Comirnaty® and Paxlovid®. Earlier, he helped lead the Meningitis Vaccine Project at the World Health Organization, which resulted in MenAfriVac®, now having reached over 400 million people across sub-Saharan Africa, and served as Deputy Director General of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul. He holds a Ph.D. and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and completed postdoctoral research in Japan. Dr. Jodar has authored approximately 200 publications and served as the industry representative on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.
About David McAvoy, J.D.
Mr. McAvoy brings more than three decades of legal leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry to Vaxcyte. He joins the Company from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, leading a 235-person legal, compliance and government affairs organization. Previously, he served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Brickell Biotech, Inc., which he helped take public, and as General Counsel of Endocyte, Inc. through its
About the VAX-31 Adult Phase 3 OPUS Program
The VAX-31 adult Phase 3 program comprises three fully enrolled clinical trials, OPUS-1, OPUS-2 and OPUS-3, with 6,191 adults dosed in total, approximately 3,500 of whom received VAX-31. These studies, which were finalized in consultation and alignment with the FDA, are designed to generate a broad and robust safety, tolerability and immunogenicity dataset to support potential licensure for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia.
Anticipated OPUS Program milestones include:
- Announce topline safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data from the OPUS-1 Phase 3 pivotal, noninferiority trial by the end of October 2026.
- Announce safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data from the OPUS-2 and OPUS-3 Phase 3 trials in the first half of 2027.
About Vaxcyte
Vaxcyte is a vaccine innovation company engineering high-fidelity vaccines to protect humankind from the consequences of bacterial diseases. VAX-31, a 31-valent PCV candidate being evaluated in the OPUS Phase 3 adult clinical program and in a Phase 2 infant clinical program, is being developed for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and is the broadest-spectrum PCV candidate in the clinic today. VAX-24, a 24-valent PCV candidate, has generated positive Phase 2 clinical results in both adults and infants and is designed to cover more serotypes than any PCV on-market. VAX-31 and VAX-24 are designed to improve upon standard-of-care PCVs by covering the serotypes in circulation that cause a significant portion of IPD and are associated with high case-fatality rates, antibiotic resistance and meningitis, while maintaining coverage of previously circulating strains. VAX-XL, in earlier-stage development, also leverages the Company’s carrier-sparing, site-specific conjugation technology with the aim of further expanding coverage to deliver the broadest-spectrum candidate in the Company’s PCV franchise.
VAX-A1 is a prophylactic vaccine candidate designed to provide broad, strain-independent protection against disease caused by Group A Strep and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical study in adults. Group A Strep remains a significant global cause of morbidity and mortality across both adult and pediatric populations and is a leading driver of antibiotic use, underscoring the substantial public health burden.
Vaxcyte is re-engineering the way highly complex vaccines are made through XpressCF®, its cell-free protein synthesis platform exclusively licensed from Sutro Biopharma, Inc. Unlike conventional cell-based approaches, the Company’s system for producing difficult-to-make proteins and antigens is intended to develop and deliver high-fidelity vaccines with enhanced immunological benefits. Vaxcyte’s pipeline also includes VAX-GI, a vaccine candidate designed to prevent Shigella. For more information, visit www.vaxcyte.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the potential benefits of Vaxcyte’s carrier-sparing platform and vaccine candidates, including breadth of coverage, the ability to deliver potentially best-in-class vaccines and improve upon the standard-of-care; the design, timing of initiation, progress and expected results of Vaxcyte’s clinical trials and regulatory plans, including the expected timing of the topline data readout from the OPUS-1 Phase 3 trial; the Company’s planned BLA submission for VAX-31; the anticipated contributions of the Company’s executive appointments; the future commercialization of Vaxcyte’s PCV programs; and other statements that are not historical fact. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “on track,” “potential,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on Vaxcyte’s current expectations and actual results and timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks related to Vaxcyte’s product development programs, including development timelines, success and timing of chemistry, manufacturing and controls and related manufacturing activities, potential delays or inability to obtain and maintain required regulatory approvals for its vaccine candidates, and the risks and uncertainties inherent with preclinical and clinical development processes; the success, cost and timing of all development activities and clinical trials; and sufficiency of cash and other funding to support Vaxcyte’s development programs and other operating expenses. These and other risks are described more fully in Vaxcyte’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 5, 2026 or in other documents Vaxcyte subsequently files with or furnishes to the SEC. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date, and readers should not rely upon the information in this press release as current or accurate after its publication date. Vaxcyte undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations. Readers should not rely upon the information in this press release as current or accurate after its publication date.
Contacts:
Patrick Ryan, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs
Vaxcyte, Inc.
415-606-5135
media@vaxcyte.com
Jeff Macdonald, Executive Director, Investor Relations
Vaxcyte, Inc.
917-371-0940
investors@vaxcyte.com
