Pfizer's new trial vaccine for RSV is over 85% effective in older adults
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Pfizer's new experimental vaccine for RSV is over 85% effective in older adults, according to a Thursday announcement from the company.
A trial vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was 86% effective for severe cases of the disease and 67% effective for milder symptoms of the disease in a late-stage clinical trial, the company claims.
Pfizer's findings were from a phase three trial of 37,000 adults aged 60 and older. The vaccine targets A and B strains of RSV in a single dose.
"We are delighted that this first bivalent RSV vaccine candidate, RSVpreF, was demonstrated to be efficacious in our clinical trial against this disease, which is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality in older adults," said Dr. Annaliesa Anderson, head of Pfizer's vaccine research, in a statement.
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Pfizer's experiment vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus is 85.7% effective for older adults, the company announced on Thursday. (REUTERS/File Photo / Reuters)
RSV is a disease that can infect an individual's respiratory tract and affect breathing with mild symptoms that include coughing, sneezing, and fever. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent an RSV infection which can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis in young children.
"Scientists and researchers have worked to develop RSV vaccines with little success for over half a century," Anderson continued. "These findings are an important step in our effort to help protect against RSV disease and we look forward to working with the FDA and other regulatory agencies to make this vaccine candidate available to help address the substantial burden of RSV disease in older adults."
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 177,0000 adults in the U.S. are hospitalized with the disease every year, resulting in approximately 14,000 deaths. Pfizer, along with GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna, are developing the first RSV vaccine in late-stage trials.
The experimental vaccine reportedly posed no safety concerns for the participants.