GlaxoSmithKline's shingles vaccine proves highly effective

After its Shingrix shingles vaccine proved extremely successful in a trial among elderly patients, GlaxoSmithKline has begun planning regulatory applications for later this year.

In a Phase III study on adults 70 years' old or above, two doses of Shingrix showed 90% efficiency compared to placebo.

Efficacy was maintained with an 88% reduction in the risk of shingles in the fourth year after vaccination.

Trials showed that the candidate vaccine was highly effective in also reducing the risk of subsequent chronic neuropathic pain, a common and often severe complication of shingles.

Glaxo said it would begin submitting regulatory applications for the candidate vaccine for the prevention of shingles in people 50 years and above later this year.

"This is the first time that such high efficacy has been demonstrated in a vaccine candidate for older people and it is remarkable, as we know that these people frequently have an age-related weakening of their immune system," said GSK's senior vice president for vaccines research and development, Dr Emmanuel Hanon.

"If approved, this candidate vaccine could be an important tool for the prevention of shingles and the pain associated with it, which would significantly impact the health and quality of life of so many people."

In a note earlier in the week, HSBC forecast that, once approved in late 2017 or early 2018, Shingrix will lead to a rapid erosion of rival Merck's Zostavax franchise and an expansion of the overall treated population, forecasting peak sales of £1.3bn.

GSK is the global number-one in vaccines by sales, with HSBC saying this segment of the pharmaceutical sector is "effectively an oligopoly", although a large part of the sales of vaccines are low cost/high volume as part of paediatric immunisation programmes.

"However, other areas of vaccines have much higher prices and newer adult and paediatric vaccines are even higher priced," analyst Steve McGarry said, saying that Shingrix and Bexsero for meningitis B prophylaxis, which has already been approved, "are likely to fall into that category".