By Colin Kellaher

Pfizer Inc. Friday said the European Medicines Agency accepted for review the drugmaker's marketing authorization application for its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate for adults ages 18 and older.

The New York company said the acceptance starts the formal review process by the agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.

Pfizer's 20-valent vaccine candidate covers 13 serotypes already included in its Prevnar 13 vaccine, plus seven new serotypes. The company noted that the 20 serotypes are responsible for the majority of currently circulating pneumococcal disease worldwide.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December granted priority review to Pfizer's application for the vaccine in adults, with a target action date in June.

Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

02-26-21 0755ET