New Shingles Vaccine Effective for up to Four Years Save

In the current issue of the NEJM, a Herpes zoster subunit vaccine was reported to be highly effective in adults - specifically in 2 studies (ZOE50 and ZOE70) targeting adults over age 50 and over age 70 years. (Citation source: http://buff.ly/2cMng17)

This subunit vaccine (HZ/su) in an inactive, recombinant VZV glycoprotein adjuvant-based product; differing significantly from the current live-virus Zostavax vaccine. 

The HZ/su vaccine (Shingrix) was given to 13,900 adult volunteers and was administered in two intramuscular doses, given two months apart. In the ZOE70 study done in adults over age 70, the vaccine was 90% effective even after four years.

In the parallel ZOE50 study done in adults 50 years of age or older, the vaccine was shown to be 97.9% effective in the prevention of herpes zoster.  The efficacy was the same in both studies and did not decline with advancing age.

Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) did not occur in those receiving the vaccine who where under age 70 years.  For those over age 70, it was 89% effective in preventing PHN. 

These findings compare favorably against the current VZV vaccie (Zostavax) wherein efficacy declines with age, dropping to only about 18 percent in adults over 79 versus 70 percent for people in their 50s.

In the current study, nearly 80 percent of those who received Shingrix had a reaction to the shot, such as arm soreness, including 12 percent whose reaction was serious enough to prevent normal activity. That compared with rates of 30 percent and 2 percent for those who received a placebo.

GSK plans to file for U.S., European and Japanese approval this year, and the vaccine could reach the market in 2017.