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Moderna on Tuesday said its vaccine that targets respiratory syncytial virus is effective at preventing disease in older adults. The vaccine was 83.7% effective at preventing lower respiratory tract disease, defined as two or more symptoms, in people ages 60 and older, according to the Boston biotech company. It was 82.4% effective at preventing lower respiratory tract disease with three or more symptoms. (Kimball, 1/17)

Adult patients in the clinical trial appeared to tolerate the vaccine well and there were no safety concerns identified, the data showed. The company said it will ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval in the first half of 2023. (Salzman and Kekatos, 1/17)

The result will increase competition in a soon-to-be crowded market. The drug giants Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline have already presented results for their RSV vaccines in older individuals, and have been preparing for what could be a brisk marketing battle. “I’ve been working on RSV for a long time and there’s been periodic promises of having an RSV vaccine around the corner, which has never proven to be true,” said Larry Anderson, a professor of pediatric infectious disease at Emory University School of Medicine. “To have three vaccines with a good chance to be licensed and this kind of efficacy data is really pretty amazing.”(Herper, 1/17)

Meanwhile, Sanofi SA and AstraZeneca PLC have co-developed an antibody-based drug to be used for the prevention of RSV in infants. They applied for FDA approval of the drug and expect a decision in the third quarter of 2023. (Loftus, 1/17)