A vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus is under development.
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GlaxoSmithKline The vaccine, which protects adults 60 and older from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), remains effective through two seasons of the disease, it said Wednesday.
A single shot of the vaccine was said to be 67.2% effective in preventing lower respiratory disease over two RSV seasons New results from phase III clinical trialsThat compares with 82% following a virus season in the northern hemisphere that typically lasts from October to March.
The vaccine was 78.8 percent effective against severe RSV disease after two seasons and 94 percent after one season. Severe illness is a case that interferes with normal daily activities.
The London-based company said efficacy was also high in older adults with underlying conditions, who are most at risk of developing severe RSV.
GSK also assessed the effectiveness of the annual vaccination program, which involves a second dose of the vaccine after one year. The cumulative efficacy of two doses of the vaccine was 67.1%, “suggesting that revaccination after 12 months does not appear to confer additional benefit to the overall population,” the company said.
That means the vaccine may only need to be given every other year, which could give GSK an advantage over rivals such as the RSV vaccine Pfizer And make it easier for older adults to protect themselves from the virus.
RSV usually causes mild cold-like symptoms.annual virus to kill According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 6,000 to 10,000 older adults and hundreds of children under the age of 5.
GSK submits results to advisory committee U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.The committee will make recommendations on timing and frequency of the company’s RSV shots, as well as competitors’ vaccines Pfizer – Should be done in the US
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved GlaxoSmithKline’s injection just last month, making it the world’s first authorized injection against RSV.
Not long after, Pfizer’s RSV vaccine became the second vaccine to be approved. The company also released new clinical trial data for its vaccine on Wednesday.
The vaccine was about 49% effective against lower respiratory disease with two or more symptoms after 18 months, a sharp drop from the vaccine’s 66.7% effectiveness at one year.
Neither drugmaker has set a price for its vaccine.