March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer ( PFE ) and

France's Valneva said on Monday their experimental Lyme

disease vaccine showed more than 70% efficacy in a late-stage

trial.

Pfizer ( PFE ) said it had planned to seek U.S. regulatory approval

for the vaccine called PF-07307405.

There is currently no approved vaccine to prevent Lyme

disease - spread by bites from infected blacklegged ticks -

after GSK discontinued its Lymerix shot in 2002, citing

insufficient consumer demand.

While the Pfizer-Valneva vaccine showed 73.2% efficacy from

28 days after the fourth dose, it missed the primary goal in the

first analysis due to fewer-than-anticipated Lyme cases being

accrued in the trial leaving a small number of data points.

However, a second planned analysis met the bar, with 74.8%

efficacy, adding to Pfizer's ( PFE ) confidence "in the vaccine's

potential," as it plans "submissions to regulatory authorities."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache,

fatigue, and a skin rash called erythema migrans. If left

untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the

nervous system.

Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with

a few weeks of antibiotics.

The CDC estimates about 476,000 people are diagnosed and

treated for Lyme annually in the U.S., while roughly 132,000

cases are reported each year in Europe, the companies said.

Last year, Valneva said it expects Pfizer ( PFE ) to launch the

vaccine in the second half of 2027 following approval.