TUESDAY, March 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A new vaccine meant to prevent Lyme disease may be one step closer to approval.

Drugmaker Pfizer and French vaccine company Valneva said their vaccine, called LB6V, worked more than 70% of the time in a clinical trial to prevent Lyme disease in people ages 5 and older.

The companies also said the vaccine was well tolerated, with no safety concerns identified.

“These results bring us a step closer to our goal of delivering a much-needed vaccine to help protect against Lyme disease,” Thomas Lingelbach, Valneva’s chief executive, told The Wall Street Journal.

Pfizer said the vaccine showed clear benefits.

The trial took longer than expected, because a pre-determined statistical target wasn’t met by the initial deadline.

The company noted that the target was met in a second planned analysis, and that the level of protection seen in the study was meaningful.

Based on these findings, Pfizer said it plans to move forward with submissions to regulatory authorities.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that's spread through the bite of infected ticks.

Early symptoms can include:

• Rash

• Fever

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Muscle and joint pain

Because these symptoms can be mild or mistaken for other illnesses, the disease is sometimes missed early on.

Left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to more serious problems affecting the joints, heart or the nervous system, the Cleveland Clinic says.

There is no currently approved vaccine for Lyme disease in humans, making LB6V the most advanced option yet, according to the pharmaceutical companies.

More information

The American Lyme Disease Foundation has more on Lyme disease.

SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2026