After decades of failure, vaccines for RSV are on the way

A landmark approval in infectious diseases could be achieved by the end of the year, after New York pharma giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) reported fast progress in its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine program.

Citing strong efficacy at a pre-planned interim analysis, the company has stopped enrollment in the MATISSE trial of its unique bivalent RSV candidate RSVpreF, which is given to pregnant women to protect infants from birth.

Data monitors said the trial met the success criterion for one of two primary endpoints, with 81.8% efficacy against severe medically attended lower respiratory tract illness.