J&J to discontinue E.coli vaccine candidate study

Johnson & Johnson said on February 13 it will discontinue a late-stage study of an experimental E.coli vaccine it was developing in partnership with Sanofi, Report informs via Reuters.

The drugmaker said its decision was based on the recommendation of an independent committee that found the vaccine candidate may not be sufficiently effective compared with a placebo in preventing infections caused by a group of bacteria commonly found in the gut.

No safety signals related to the experimental vaccine were identified, J&J said, adding that it was conducting follow-ups for participants currently enrolled in the trial.

The study was testing the safety and efficacy of a single dose of the experimental shot, ExPEC9V, in preventing E.coli disease, including sepsis and blood infections.