LONDON (Reuters) -GSK’s vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) succeeded in an ongoing late-stage trial involving older adults, the company said on Friday.
It is the first trial to show statistically significant efficacy for RSV in adults aged 60 years and older, the British drugmaker said, adding that it expects to submit regulatory applications for the RSV vaccine in the second half of 2022.
The RSV vaccine is a key component of the British drugmaker’s plans to boost its drug development success rate as it prepares to spin off its consumer health venture next month as an independent listed company called Haleon.
GSK then aims to focus solely on vaccines and prescription drugs.
RSV is a leading cause of pneumonia in toddlers and the elderly, but vaccine development has been plagued by setbacks for decades.
GSK in February halted enrolment in three RSV trials involving pregnant women after it had paused the studies following undisclosed safety recommendations from an independent committee.
In the trial with older adults, GSK said that no unexpected safety concerns were observed in the interim analysis.
(Reporting by Natalie Grover in LondonEditing by Jason Neely and David Goodman)
