Vaccines as Global Health Security Infrastructure: Insights from a Descriptive Analysis of Vaccines Europe Members’ Clinical Pipelines

Background/Objectives: Vaccine development pipelines are forward-looking indicators of public health preparedness, reflecting the capacity to address unmet medical needs and emerging threats. This descriptive analysis aims to characterise the 2025 clinical-stage pipeline of infectious disease vaccines and prophylactic monoclonal antibody candidates developed by Vaccines Europe member companies, and to describe how pipeline characteristics address evolving public health priorities. Methods: A descriptive analysis was conducted using publicly available data compiled in the Vaccines Europe Pipeline Review 2025, with validation by participating companies. Candidates in clinical development or regulatory review were classified using a standardised framework by pathogen/disease, target population, public health priority, and technologies. Results: The Vaccines Europe member company pipeline comprises 91 candidates across clinical development phases, 19% of which are in Phase III and 7% undergoing regulatory review. This pipeline is predominantly targeting respiratory pathogens (75%), with a strong life-course focus (85% evaluated in adults and/or older adults), and sustained activity in bacterial pathogens relevant to antimicrobial resistance. Notably, 41% of candidates were classified as addressing diseases, disease combinations, or indications for which no licenced preventive product exists. This category includes candidates targeting diseases without a preventive solution, as well as novel combination vaccines and therapeutic approaches in areas where individual components or preventive vaccines are already available. This captures vaccines candidates in different stages of development, not necessarily first-in-disease innovation. The pipeline shows broad technological diversity (12 technologies), dominated by RNA approaches and multivalent candidates, with growing focus on climate-sensitive, zoonotic, and pandemic-prone pathogens. Conclusions: Within the pipeline of Vaccines Europe member companies, this analysis describes development activity oriented toward broader prevention, platform-based approaches, and preparedness-relevant targets. As a structured and recurring annual assessment, the Vaccines Europe Pipeline Review supports horizon scanning and evidence-based dialogue between industry and vaccine ecosystem stakeholders. In order to maximise the impact of vaccine development pipelines to public health, predictable investment, streamlined trial and regulatory pathways, strong surveillance, and real-world data systems, coordinated decision-making is required to enable timely and equitable access, and complementary incentive and procurement reforms.