Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline has announced big plans for two drugs geared to older adults.
The shingles vaccine Shingrix will get a renewed marketing push following a large drop in sales during the pandemic. In an investor update last week, GSK predicted that U.S. demand for Shingrix will increase as the healthcare system returns to normal following disruption to non-COVID-19 vaccination schedules. The drug’s sales fell almost 50% in the first quarter of 2021 versus the same period last year, according to FiercePharma.
The company also plans to focus on marketing a first-in-its-class vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, to older adults. RSV is a common respiratory virus and one cause of the common cold. It can spread quickly in communal settings, exacerbate chronic conditions and put older adults at risk of pneumonia.
A fast track designation already has been procured for the RSV vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration, and GSK aims to launch the drug in 2024, FiercePharma reported.
GSK said that it expects continued uncertainty about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult vaccinations and ongoing pressure on pricing of pharmaceuticals.
