GSK's TB candidate vaccine shows sustained protection

In what is seen as a major breakthrough in fight against tuberculosis (TB), a vaccine from pharma major GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) has shown promising results in protecting half of the people who received the vaccine.

Today, GSK and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) reported that GSK’s M72/AS01E candidate vaccine significantly reduced the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis disease in HIV-negative adults with latent TB infection.

These Phase IIb results demonstrate an overall vaccine efficacy of 50% during the three years after vaccination. The candidate vaccine has an acceptable safety and reactogenicity profile. The final results are consistent with the primary analysis done after two years of follow-up and published in New England Journal of Medicine in September 2018.