GSK's Pentavalent Meningococcal Jab Recommended for Use by ACIP

GSK plc GSK announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (“CDC”) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (“ACIP”) voted favorably, recommending the use of Penmenvy (Meningococcal Groups A, B, C, W, and Y Vaccine) as part of the adolescent meningococcal vaccination schedule.

ACIP has recommended a single dose of Penmenvy to protect individuals of more than 10 years of age in the United States against disease-causing serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis (A, B, C, W and Y). The recommendation is an alternative to administering meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y (MenACWY) and meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccines separately during the same visit, usually at age 16.

Adopting this treatment approach could sharply cut the number of injections needed, likely increasing the share of adolescents who complete the two-dose regimen and, in turn, provide broader protection against the five key meningococcal serogroups, for which the U.S. CDC has previously issued recommendations.

Year to date, shares of GSK have gained 4.6% against the industry’s decline of 6.7%.

Please note that ACIP recommendations are subject to review and, if approved, will be published as official CDC guidelines.

US Approval of GSK’s Pentavalent MenABCWY Meningococcal Jab

Approved by the FDA in February 2025, GSK’s Penmenvy is an intramuscular injectable suspension indicated in the United States for active immunization against invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, W and Y in patients aged 10-25 years. The approval was based on the success of two late-stage studies that evaluated the vaccine’s safety, tolerability and immune response in the above patient population.

Importantly, Penmenvy integrates the antigenic components of GSK’s two widely used meningococcal vaccines, Bexsero (Meningococcal Group B Vaccine) and Menveo (Meningococcal [Groups A, C, Y, and W-135] Oligosaccharide Diphtheria CRM197 Conjugate Vaccine).

Bexsero is currently approved in more than 55 countries and has recorded sales of £1 billion in 2024, representing year-over-year growth of 23%. Menveo, on the other hand, is approved in more than 60 countries and has recorded sales of £387 million in 2024, which was up 5% from the year-ago figure.

MenB is the leading cause of invasive meningococcal disease among adolescents. However, vaccination rates remain low, as only 13% of 17-year-olds have completed the recommended two-dose series and just 32% have received at least one dose, according to 2023 CDC data.

GSK PLC Sponsored ADR Price and Consensus

 

GSK PLC Sponsored ADR price-consensus-chart | GSK PLC Sponsored ADR Quote

GSK’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

GSK currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). 

Some better-ranked stocks from the sector are Bayer BAYRY, Dynavax Technologies Corporation DVAX and ADMA Biologics ADMA, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 

In the past 30 days, estimates for Bayer’s earnings per share have declined from $1.20 to $1.19 for 2025. During the same time, earnings per share have remained constant at $1.28 for 2026. Year to date, shares of Bayer have gained 21.1%. 

BAYRY’s earnings matched estimates in two of the trailing three quarters while missing the same on the remaining occasion, the average negative surprise being 19.61%. 

In the past 30 days, estimates for Dynavax’s earnings per share have remained constant at 33 cents for 2025. During the same time, earnings per share have remained constant at 57 cents for 2026. Year to date, shares of DVAX have lost 16.6%. 

DVAX’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters while missing the same on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 9.58%. 

In the past 30 days, estimates for ADMA Biologics’ 2025 earnings per share have increased from 70 cents to 71 cents. The estimate for 2026 earnings per share has remained constant at 93 cents. Year to date, shares of ADMA Biologics have gained 23.8%. 

ADMA’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, delivering an average surprise of 32.8%. 

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research