GSK claimed a huge victory for its drug pipeline after releasing “really extraordinary” findings for its vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus in a pivotal trial (RSV).
RSV is prevalent and typically results in mild, cold-like symptoms.
However, the condition can develop severely and is the major cause of pneumonia in infants and the elderly, resulting in approximately 8,000 fatalities per year in the United Kingdom.
A phase III clinical investigation of the pharmaceutical company’s RSV vaccine revealed that it reduced the severity of the condition by 94.1 percent, while its overall efficacy was 82.6 percent. The results gave chief executive Emma Walmsley a boost.
Tony Wood, GSK’s chief scientific officer, stated, “These are genuinely amazing results given that RSV remains one of the major infectious illnesses without a vaccine despite over 60 years of research.”
The vaccine has the potential to lower the significant global burden’ of RSV in older persons, many of whom have a high risk of suffering severe disease from other disorders.
The results placed GSK’s vaccine ahead of its U.S. competitor Pfizer, which started in August that its own RSV vaccine was 66.7% effective overall. In addition, the Pfizer vaccine was 85.7% effective at preventing serious illness.
GSK plans to submit the trial data to the appropriate authorities by the end of this year. If approved, the RSV vaccination could be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
Despite the positive news, GSK shares decreased by 2.1%, or 27.8p, to 1331p.
Susie Jana, an analyst at broker Shore Capital, attributed the sluggish stock performance in part to lingering investor concerns about GSK’s potential liability in a US lawsuit over the heartburn drug Zantac, which was removed from the market in 2019 due to concerns that it contained a cancer-causing chemical.
The incident has resulted in the filing of more than 2,000 lawsuits in the United States, prompting concerns that the pharmaceutical corporations who supplied the product may have to pay substantial damages.
In addition to its difficulties with Zantac, GSK is also competing against Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and the Danish company Baxter Nordic to secure regulatory approval for its RSV vaccine.
