Aug. 25 (UPI) — Pfizer said on Thursday that its potential vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus was more than 85% effective in a Phase 3 trial for preventing lower respiratory tract illness in older adults.
The pharmaceutical giant released the findings of its trial investigating its RSV vaccine when it was given to participants over 60 against A and B strains.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus can be dangerous, especially for infants and older adults but most people recover in about two weeks.
RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than 12 months in the United States.
“We are delighted that this first bivalent RSV vaccine candidate, RSV preF, was observed to be efficacious in our clinical trial against this disease, which is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality in older adults,” Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer senior vice president and chief scientific officer, said in a statement.
The independent external Data Monitoring Committee also indicated the investigational vaccine was well-tolerated, with no safety concerns. Pfizer said that based on the results, it plans to submit a Biologics License Application with the Food and Drug Administration
“Scientists and researchers have worked to develop RSV vaccines with little success for over half a century,” Anderson added.
“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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