wSp vaccine

The **wSp vaccine** is a pneumococcal whole-cell vaccine designed to prevent nasopharyngeal colonization by *Streptococcus pneumoniae* and related diseases such as acute otitis media (ear infections). It contains inactivated whole pneumococcal cells and elicits both antibody-mediated (e.g., against pneumolysin and pneumococcal surface protein A) and T-cell-mediated immune responses (e.g., IL-17A production), complementing conjugate vaccines like PCV20 by targeting non-vaccine serotypes. Developed through collaborative efforts including PATH, it has been tested in Phase 1 trials in healthy adults (safe and immunogenic at doses up to 0.6 mg IM) and is advancing to Phase 2 in infants for otitis media prevention.[2][4][5][12]

Other names

PATH-wSPpneumococcal whole-cell vaccine