Shingrix presents a new paradigm for shingles prevention

GSK Korea holds a meeting to commemorate its launch

Clinical demonstration of herpes zoster prevention efficacy

Professor Yoon

Korea GSK's herpes zoster vaccine "Shingrix" announced its official launch.

 

GSK held a press conference at InterContinental Seoul COEX on the 15th to commemorate the launch of Shingrix, a shingles-prevention vaccine, in Korea.

 

At the meeting, Yoon Kyung-young, an infectious medicine professor at Korea University Anam Hospital, introduced the epidemiology of shingles, the risk of diseases and complications, and strategies to prevent shingles through unmet needs and vaccines.

 

Shingles occur when the varicella-zoster virus, a chickenpox-causing virus, is reactivated.

 

Shingles are accompanied by unbearable pain, and some patients may experience neuralgia (post-shingles neuralgia) that lasts for months to years even after the shingles rash disappears.

 

Professor Yoon said, "The risk of shingles is increasing in the elderly, where the immune system is strong and cannot maintain an effective immune response due to aging.

 

"In the elderly and immunodeficiency cases, chronic pain caused by neuralgia after shingles, as well as complications such as invasion of eye nerves, facial paralysis, and damage to the auditory nerve are often leading," he explained.

 

In addition, "Sherpas zoster complications lower the quality of life of patients, so it is important to prevent it in advance as a shingles vaccine." Shingrix emphasized that it will present a new paradigm for preventing herpes zoster in Korea as the first and only recombinant inactivation vaccine in Korea that has proven its preventive effect and safety profile through global clinical research.

 

Under the theme of "Major Clinical Research Results of R&D and Shingrix in Recombinant Shingles Vaccine (RZV)," Kim Hyung-woo, managing director of GSK Medical Department, explained the implications of Shingrix's innovative mechanism and development.

 

Shingrix, a Recombinant Zoster vaccine, is the first shingles vaccine in Korea approved by combining GSK's immune enhancer with a non-live antigen.

 

It can help prevent the risk of developing shingles in adults over the age of 50 due to naturally weakened immunity due to aging.

 

Shingrix showed 97.2% preventive effect in two global phases 3 clinical trials (ZOE-50, ZOE-70) conducted on 15,411 adults over the age of 50, and more than 90% preventive effect in all age groups over the age of 70.

 

Significant adverse reactions were similar in the Shingrix administration group and the placebo administration group.

 

An interim analysis of ZOSTER-049 (ZOE-LTFU) conducted by an extensive study of ZOE-50 and ZOE-70 confirmed that the shingles-prevention effect of Shingrix persists for at least 10 years after initial inoculation.

 

In addition, Shingrix confirmed the safety profile through five clinical trials targeting immunocompromised people aged 18 or older.

 

Based on this, Singrix can be vaccinated even in immunosuppressive diseases such as autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, solid cancer, blood cancer, and solid organ transplant patients, which have a higher risk of shingles than the general public.

 

"Based on a number of clinical results, Shingrix is an innovative vaccine that is recommended to prevent shingles in adults over 50 years of age, not only in the United States but also in Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, so it can be an effective alternative to prevent shingles in Korea," Kim said.

 

Meanwhile, Shingrix was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in September last year.

 

It can be used for the purpose of preventing shingles in adults over 50 years of age or over 18 years of age who are at high or expected to have an increased risk of shingles due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression due to disease or treatment.

 

It is available in more than 20 countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Australia, and Japan.

 

In Korea, vaccinations are expected to be available at major general hospitals, hospitals, and clinics across the country starting this week.