Chinese vaccine trial gives Glaxo boss a shot of breath
Pharmaceutical giant GSK and its boss Emma Walmsley got a boost from strong results from a clinical trial in China.
The successful shingrix vaccine from the FTSE 100 company was 100 per cent effective in a recent study in adults aged 50 and over.
Pharmaceutical giant GSK and its boss Emma Walmsley (pictured) got a boost from strong results from a clinical trial in China.
No cases of shingles, a chickenpox-like condition that causes painful rashes and commonly affects older people, were reported among patients who received the shot in a trial involving nearly 6,000 people.
While Chinese regulators first approved shingrix for people over 50 in 2019, the latest trial was conducted to meet new requirements and assess its efficacy and safety.
GSK shares rose 0.6 percent, or 7.8 pence, to 1,364.8 pence. The company noted that due to the aging of the Chinese population, the incidence of shingles was expected to increase from around 6 million cases per year.
The trial results provide a further boost to Walmsley, which is spearheading a focus on developing cancer vaccines and drugs following the spin-off of its Haleon consumer division last year.
