ICER launches review of COVID-19 vaccines ahead of 2026 meeting

US health technology body the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) will review the comparative clinical effectiveness and value of four COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech’s (Nasdaq: BNTX) Comirnaty, Moderna’s (Nasdaq: MRNA) Spikevax and mNexspike, and Novavax’s (Nasdaq: NVAX) Nuvaxovid. The study will assess both short- and long-term effects of infection, with findings due for discussion in June 2026.

Draft scoping plans will be posted in November 2025 for public comment, followed by a revised version in December. ICER said it will engage manufacturers, patients, and clinical experts during a five-week consultation period. The New England CEPAC panel will ultimately deliberate and vote on ICER’s final evidence report.

Sarah Emond, ICER president and chief executive, said vaccines remain among the most consequential interventions in public health. She emphasized that the process is designed to provide transparent, evidence-based assessments that can inform policy and payer decision-making in the USA.