HONG KONG, Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AIM Vaccine (06660.HK), a leading domestic vaccine company, announced on January 19 that it has developed an optimized upgraded version of its iterative 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which has recently received clinical trial approval from the National Medical Products Administration. This marks a further enrichment and enhancement of AIM’s research and development pipeline in the pneumococcal vaccine field.
Pneumococcal diseases are among the diseases designated as “extremely high priority” for vaccination prevention by the World Health Organization (WHO), potentially leading to severe consequences such as pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, especially threatening children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. AIM’s clinically approved 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine adds 7 epidemic serotypes to the 13 serotypes covered by the 13-valent vaccine, intended for inoculation in individuals aged 2 months (minimum 6 weeks old) and above to prevent infectious diseases caused by the 20 serotypes of pneumococcus covered by the product, providing more comprehensive protection for a wider population.
High-efficiency pneumococcal vaccines are fiercely contested, yet high-end products remain limited. The technical barriers for multi-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccines are high, and the difficulty increases significantly with each additional valency.
Considering market demand and the R&D cycle, AIM has prepared a tiered reserve of iterative products, pushing mature generations to market while developing new ones. This includes the development of the optimized 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and the 24-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine based on the 13-valent vaccine, positioning them with differentiated market strategies for different product generations. Furthermore, the company announced last year that the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine has completed Phase III clinical serological tests and is set to be unblinded. Together with the conjugate vaccine, it will construct a comprehensive lifecycle pneumococcal protection system, meeting diverse market demands.
Currently, there is no similar vaccine products approved for sale in China. According to a research report by Fosun International Securities, the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, with its broad-spectrum protective advantage covering 20 serotypes of pneumococcus, is expected to become a market-leading product. As an upgraded iterative product of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the development of the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine fully relies on the company’s existing mature distribution network to ensure rapid market penetration. Simultaneously, the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine covers both pediatric and adult markets, further strengthening AIM Vaccine’s competitive advantage in the industry.
