Respiratory syncytial virus vaccine under study.
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GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday said its vaccine to guard adults 60 and older against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remained effective for two seasons of the disease.
A single injection dose was 67.2% effective in stopping lower respiratory disease over two seasons of RSV, in line with recent results of the third phase of the clinical trial. This compares to 82% after one viral season, which in the northern hemisphere normally lasts from October to March.
The injection was also 78.8% effective against severe RSV disease after two seasons, in comparison with 94% after one season. Severe illness refers to cases that prevent normal, every day activities.
The London-based company says the high efficacy is similarly maintained in older individuals with co-morbidities, who’re most vulnerable to severe RSV infection.
GSK also evaluated the effectiveness of the annual vaccination schedule, which consists of giving a second dose of its injection after a yr. The corporate said the cumulative effectiveness of the two doses was 67.1%, “suggesting revaccination after 12 months doesn’t appear to supply additional profit to the general population.”
This implies the vaccine may only have to be administered every two years, which could give GSK a bonus over RSV-vaccinated rivals comparable to Pfizer and make it easier for seniors to guard themselves from the virus.
RSV normally causes mild cold-like symptoms. Virus every yr kills between 6,000 and 10,000 seniors, in addition to several hundred children under 5, in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
GSK presented the results advisory committee CDC on Wednesday. The committee will make a advice on when and the way often the company’s RSV vaccine — and a competitor’s vaccine Pfizer – have to be entered in the USA
The Food and Drug Administration approved the GSK vaccine in May, making it the world’s first authorized RSV vaccine.
Pfizer’s RSV injection became the second to realize approval soon after. The corporate also presented recent clinical trial data on Wednesday for the vaccine.
This injection was roughly 49% effective for lower respiratory illnesses with two or more symptoms after 18 months, a pointy decline from the injection’s 66.7% effectiveness at one yr.
No drug manufacturer has set a listing price for its vaccine.