Will a New Shingles Vaccine Provide the Boost GlaxoSmithKline Desires?

Shingrix, an experimental vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK), has produced promising data in its latest clinical trial. Researchers have found that the shingles vaccine candidate protects 90 percent of people aged 70 or older from developing the painful disease and offers at least four years of immunity.
The trial involved some 14,800 adults over 70, who were administered either two doses of the vaccine or two doses of a placebo. A previous clinical trial, focused on people over 50, found the vaccine to be 97 percent effective.
Those numbers are particularly impressive when compared to the efficacy of the shingles vaccine currently on the market: Zostavax, developed by Merck (NYSE:MRK), has a 50 percent success rate in preventing shingles.
It’s good news for GlaxoSmithKline, which has lost patent protection for several key drugs in recent years, including Advair, Valtrex, Lovaza and Seretide. The arrival of generic competitors has hit the company hard, although the success of their HIV drug line seemed to somewhat offset that lost revenue. Shingrix may provide a similar boost.
After all, the market for such a vaccine is huge: anyone who has had chickenpox is vulnerable—and that’s virtually anyone over 40 in the United States. In fact, the Center for Disease Control estimates that one in three Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime. Although the disease rarely leads to death, the rash is very painful, often recurring and can cause excruciating complications like postherpatic neuralgia.

Negative side effects of Shingrix, which include fatigue and muscle pain, so far appear minimal. HealthDay News reported some concern that adjuvant, a key component of the vaccine, may negatively affect the immune system of people with certain genetic markers. However, GlaxoSmithKline still expects to apply for FDA approval before the end of the year.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_LifeScience for real-time news updates.
Securities Disclosure: I, Chelsea Pratt, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.