2024-08-23 19:36:14
On Friday, August 23, the European Commission approved the marketing of the messenger RNA vaccine mResvia, designed to protect people over 60 years old against infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of bronchiolitis. This is the first product using this technology to be approved on the continent, in addition to the authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
Four years ago, the Covid-19 pandemic opened the way for the use of messenger RNA, and the two main vaccines developed to fight the virus, Comirnaty from the German BioNTech and Pfizer Pharmaceutical Group, and Spikevax from the American company Moderna, are derived from this technology. The advent of the new messenger RNA vaccine against RSV confirms the interest in this technology. It also allows Moderna, the originator of this product, to consolidate its position as an expert in this field.
The European agreement is based on data from the mResvia clinical trial conducted in 22 countries on approximately 37,000 adults over the age of 60. Among other things, this showed that the vaccine was 83.7% effective against lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV for a median duration of 3.7 months.
Moderna’s New Market
Above all, the vaccine offers Moderna the opportunity to expand its commercial activities. Until now, the laboratory has been able to rely solely on revenues from its successful COVID-19 vaccine, the only other product in its portfolio that has received marketing authorization. But since the end of the pandemic, once-booming sales have collapsed due to falling global demand. In early August, the biotech company cut its financial forecast for 2024 by $4 billion (€3.57 billion) to between $300 million and $3.5 billion, citing weaker-than-expected Covid-related sales prospects.
Will the arrival of mResvia breathe new life into the laboratories? Nothing is certain, as Americans have to face fierce competition in the bronchiolitis vaccine market. In fact, in recent years many laboratories have been working on developing products against RSV, a virus that is common in winter and can cause serious complications for young children and the elderly, whose immune systems are more vulnerable.
31.44% of this article remains to be read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
1724460194
#Europe #approves #nonCOVID19 #messenger #RNA #vaccine
