GSK shingles vaccine performs
pharmafile | April 29, 2015 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | GSK, GlaxoSmithKline, HZ/su, Merck, zostovax
GlaxoSmithKline’s HZ/su vaccine candidate for the prevention of shingles has demonstrated promising benefits across all age groups in a late-stage study.
Data presented at a Copenhagen conference on microbiology and infectious diseases and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a two-dose jab of HZ/su reduced the risk of herpes zoster by 97.2% in adults aged 50 years and older compared to placebo.
The news is a big for the UK firm as it means its shot could now be a strong competitor for the only established vaccine currently on the market for the condition – Merck’s Zostavax.
But for GSK its vaccines efficacy was maintained across the various age groups in this latest study, ranging between 96.6% in people aged 50-59 years, 97.4% in those aged 60-69 years, 97.6% in people aged 60 years and above, and 98% in those 70 years or older. There was no significant difference in vaccine efficacy among the age groups.
Dr Moncef Slaoui, chairman Global Vaccines at GSK, says: “We are extremely encouraged that the results may point out a health benefit in the prevention of shingles. This disease can be painful and potentially debilitating for some people and older people are particularly at risk. We look forward to continuing the development of our Zoster programme.”
Shingles can be a nasty disease for older people and can lead to long-term health problems for around 14,000 people each year.
It typically presents itself as a painful, itchy rash that develops on one side of the body, as a result of reactivation of latent chickenpox virus (varicella zoster virus, VZV).
Additional trials to evaluate the ability of HZ/su to prevent shingles are ongoing now in people aged 70 and older, and in adults with compromised immune systems.
The firm says these studies will provide additional information with respects to the safety of blockbuster-tipped HZ/su and its ability to stimulate immune responses in specific populations.
They will also hope to address the degree to which HZ/su can prevent complications of shingles – such as chronic neuropathic pain – also known as post-herpetic neuralgia.
Brett Wells
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