GlaxoSmithKline Vaccine Combination Trial Fails: Joint Vaccination Shows Mediocre Results, 177,000 Hospitalization Risk Unchanged!

Glaxosmithkline plc announced on Wednesday that in a late-stage clinical trial, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine combined with the herpes zoster vaccine elicited an immune response comparable to when the two vaccines were given alone. The trial evaluated two of GSK's key vaccines, Shingrix and Arexvy, in adults over 50 years of age, successfully achieving the study's primary goal.

Len Friedland, managing director and vice president of Scientific Affairs and Public Health at GlaxoSmithKline, said the combination vaccination is expected to reduce the number of visits people make to healthcare facilities and help prevent the occurrence of RSV and shingles.

RSV causes more than 177,000 hospitalizations and about 14,000 deaths annually in the United States. At the same time, more than 1 million people suffer from shingles each year. GSK, one of the world's leading vaccine makers, under chief executive Emma Walmsley, is focusing on vaccines and infectious diseases as a strategy to drive sales growth and meet the challenges of patent expirations in 2020 and declining revenues from current blockbuster drugs.

However, GSK's Shingrix and Arexvy failed to meet market expectations for second-quarter sales in July.