GSK PLC (LSE:GSK, NYSE:GSK) today unveiled "positive" preliminary results from the third phase of its trial of Arexvy, a vaccine against the potentially fatal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that causes lower respiratory tract disease.
Tony Wood, chief scientific officer at GSK, said: "This trial reinforces our confidence in our RSV vaccine's ability to help protect adults aged 50 to 59 at increased risk for RSV-LRTD.
"We will submit these data for regulatory review as quickly as possible with the goal of offering adults in this age group the option of a vaccine for the first time."
The trial focused on adults aged between 50 and 59, including those at increased risk of the disease due to underlying medical conditions.
Pharma group GSK said that the vaccine elicited an immune response in the test group that was similar to the results demonstrated in the over sixties.
The vaccine is already approved for use in the United States to prevent the disease in adults aged 60 or older, and is approved in Europe, Japan and several other countries.
GSK said that the primary endpoints, the main objectives from the clinical trial, were met for the test group who enrolled in the trial and that safety and side effects were consistent with results for the initial third phase programme.
The worst adverse effects seen in the trial were mild pain, fatigue and headaches, which were mainly transient, GSK said.