Merck & Co Inc's (NYSE:MRK, ETR:6MK) experimental treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has shown positive results in a mid- to late-stage trial, moving the company closer to seeking regulatory approval.
The treatment, clesrovimab, aims to protect infants from RSV, a leading cause of hospitalizations in newborns and responsible for hundreds of infant deaths annually.
In the trial, clesrovimab reduced RSV-related hospitalisations by over 84% and lowered the rate of respiratory infections requiring medical care by more than 60%, with no major side effects reported.
Merck plans to discuss the results with regulators, aiming to launch the treatment for infants by the 2025-2026 RSV season. If approved, clesrovimab will compete with existing treatments from Sanofi and AstraZeneca.