Vice President, Market Access - Pricing
About the job
- A bachelor's degree is required; an advanced degree such as an MBA, Master of Public Health, Doctor of Pharmacy, or PhD is preferred.
- At least 15 years of experience in market access, pricing, reimbursement, or related functions within biotechnology or pharmaceuticals is required.
- Demonstrated experience supporting or leading product launches, ideally in vaccines, infectious disease, or buy-and-bill products.
- Strong understanding of adult vaccine access dynamics, including public health recommendations, Medicare Part B and Part D reimbursement, Medicaid, 340B program implications, CDC contract vehicles including Section 317 and Vaccines for Children, and site-of-care economics.
- Experience operating in lean or pre-commercial biotechnology environments, with a demonstrated track record of building market access capabilities from the ground up.
- Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
- Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder influence skills.
- Experience managing gross-to-net financial modeling, including rebate strategy across payers.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with HEOR teams to translate cost-effectiveness models, budget impact analyses, and payer value dossiers into P&T committee submissions or ICER reviews.
- Prior engagement with CDC immunization programs, state immunization programs, or ACIP-adjacent policy processes, with an understanding of how ACIP recommendation language drives uptake across channels.
- Lead development and execution of the U.S. market access strategy for the adult pneumococcal vaccine, including pricing, reimbursement, contracting, and channel strategy.
- Define and drive launch readiness plans aligned to regulatory approval and immunization guideline milestones, including ACIP or other recommending bodies.
- Shape access strategies across commercial payers, Medicare, Medicaid, and public health channels.
- Develop and execute engagement strategies for key stakeholders, including GPOs, IDNs, retail pharmacy, and public health entities.
- Establish pricing strategy and gross-to-net assumptions aligned with vaccine-specific market dynamics.
- Ensure readiness for coding, coverage, reimbursement, and provider economics within buy-and-bill and pharmacy settings.
- Partner with Medical Affairs to define and deliver HEOR and value evidence supporting payer and policy decision-making.
- Serve as the market access lead across Commercial, Medical, Regulatory, Government Affairs, and Finance teams.
- Build and lead a lean market access function, leveraging external partners to scale capabilities efficiently.
- Prepare for CDC immunization program, state immunization program, and ACIP-adjacent policy stakeholder engagements, and translate ACIP recommendation language into access and coverage implications across channels.
- Develop and execute integrated PBM, commercial payer, and Medicare Part B and D contracting strategies to support formulary positioning, coverage, and patient access across channels.
- Support development of national retail pharmacy and alternate vaccination site strategies, establishing partnerships that maximize vaccine availability, administration, and uptake.
- Develop scenario-based access, reimbursement, and customer adoption strategies aligned to potential ACIP recommendation outcomes and evolving adult immunization guidelines.
- Advanced degree such as an MBA, Master of Public Health, Doctor of Pharmacy, or PhD.
- Product launch experience in vaccines, infectious disease, or buy-and-bill products.
About the company
Vaxcyte develops broad-spectrum vaccines to prevent bacterial infections such as pneumococcal disease, Group A Strep, and Shigella. Using a proprietary cell-free protein synthesis platform called XpressCF™, the company attaches bacterial components to carrier proteins to trigger an immune response without the limitations of traditional cell-based manufacturing. This technology allows Vaxcyte to include more bacterial strains in a single dose than its competitors, as seen in their lead candidate which targets 24 different strains. The company's goal is to protect children and adults from life-threatening infections by creating vaccines that overcome complex bacterial defense mechanisms.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
San Carlos, California
Founded
2013
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- All three OPUS adult Phase 3 trials fully enrolled by August 2026, de-risking execution.
- The FDA expanded VAX-31 Breakthrough Therapy designation in May 2025 to include pneumonia.
- Thermo Fisher’s up-to-$1 billion agreement and Lonza manufacturing build support commercial readiness.
What critics are saying
- VAX-31 OPUS-1 data shifted to October 2026, compressing launch timelines.
- Q2 2026 burn reached $284.3 million, while cash funding depends on dilution.
- Pfizer Prevnar 20 and Merck Capvaxive already control adult pneumococcal vaccination, threatening VAX-31 adoption.
What makes Vaxcyte unique
- Vaxcyte’s XpressCF platform produced VAX-31, a 31-valent PCV, on September 10, 2026.
- OPUS trials were finalized with FDA alignment for a planned BLA submission.
- Thermo Fisher and Lonza manufacturing deals lock commercial capacity across U.S. and Europe.
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Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -1%1 year growth
↓ -3%2 year growth
↑ 0%Vaxcyte's president and CFO Andrew Guggenhime disposed of 2,705 shares according to a recent SEC filing. The transaction involved shares surrendered to satisfy tax withholding obligations on vested restricted stock units, not a discretionary sale. Guggenhime retains approximately 164,000 shares valued at $10.12 million based on 2 September's market close. His holdings consist of 102,000 shares held directly and 61,850 shares held indirectly through ALG 2025 Grat Holdings LLC. The clinical-stage biotechnology company held $2.51 billion in cash and investments at the end of June. However, Vaxcyte reported a six-month net loss of $604.9 million, with second-quarter operating expenses reaching $302.8 million, up from $226.2 million the previous year. Vaxcyte's lead candidate VAX-24, a 24-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, is currently in clinical trials. The company has a market capitalisation of $9 billion.
Vaxcyte CEO Grant Pickering disposed of 6,289 shares of common stock in a non-discretionary transaction to cover tax withholding obligations from vesting restricted stock units, according to an SEC filing. The shares were valued at approximately $385,000 based on a weighted average sale price of $61.20. The California-based clinical-stage biotechnology company is developing VAX-31, a 31-strain pneumococcal vaccine. Vaxcyte expects topline data in the fourth quarter from OPUS-1, its pivotal Phase 3 trial testing VAX-31 against Pfizer's Prevnar 20 and Merck's Capvaxive in approximately 4,000 adults aged 50 and older. The company burned $284.3 million in the June quarter alone, with research and development spending up 38% year-over-year to $267.9 million. Vaxcyte holds $2.5 billion in cash.
Vaxcyte reported second-quarter results showing a net loss of $284.3 million, nearly double the $166.6 million loss from a year earlier. The clinical-stage vaccine maker has fully enrolled three Phase 3 trials for its lead pneumococcal candidate VAX-31, with 6,191 adults dosed across the studies. Research and development spending rose to $267.9 million from $194.2 million, driven by manufacturing preparation and trial costs. The company held $2.5 billion in cash and investments as of 30 June. The first major data readout from the OPUS-1 trial, comparing VAX-31 against Prevnar 20 and Capvaxive, is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. Results from OPUS-2 and OPUS-3 will follow in the first half of 2027. Hedge fund ownership declined from 57 to 47 funds, whilst short interest stands at 10% of the float.
Vaxcyte has appointed Luis Jodar and David McAvoy as chief medical officer and chief legal officer, respectively. The clinical-stage vaccine innovation company also narrowed its guidance for topline data from the VAX-31 adult Phase 3 OPUS-1 trial, now expecting results by the end of October 2026. Jodar joins from Pfizer, where he spent 17 years, most recently as senior vice president and chief medical officer for vaccines and infectious diseases. He led clinical development and regulatory strategy for programmes including Prevnar 13 and Prevnar 20. McAvoy previously served as chief legal officer at Teva. The appointments come as Vaxcyte prepares for its planned Biologics Licence Application submission and potential launch of VAX-31.
Vaxcyte shares rose 8.7% after completing enrollment for three Phase 3 adult trials of its VAX-31 pneumococcal vaccine candidate and a Phase 2 infant study. The company also announced plans to begin a Phase 1 adult trial for its VAX-A1 Group A Strep programme. The milestone reduces execution risk whilst advancing Vaxcyte's two-pillar strategy targeting both adult and paediatric pneumococcal markets. The company's narrative projects $224.6 million revenue by 2029, representing an earnings increase of approximately $794.7 million from current levels. Some analysts forecast Vaxcyte reaching $424 million revenue by 2029. Key near-term catalysts include OPUS-1 Phase 3 adult data readout, though higher research and manufacturing spending may pressure the company's cash runway before late-stage outcomes are determined.