Dive Brief:
- GSK's phase III clinical trials have been ongoing for four long years, but efforts are paying off as data show that their drug, HZ/su combined with an adjuvant cut the risk of shingles by 97.2% in adults aged 50 and older.
- The study that produced this data included more than 16,000 participants in 18 countries.
- Currently the only preventive vaccine against shingles is Merck's Zostavax, which had $653 million in revenues last year.
Dive Insight:
Currently, Merck is the worldwide leader in vaccines, but GSK is hoping that approval of its shingles vaccine can make it a major competitor.
And while the business implications of the approval would be excellent for GSK, patients who suffer from shingles, which is a very painful disease, also stand to benefit from the availability of another treatment option.