Pharmaceutical companies Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline are seeking regulatory approval for their shared COVID-19 vaccine in both the U.S. and in Europe, after they reported successful clinical trials.
“Early data from the late-stage trial of the vaccine as a standalone two-dose shot showed it was 100% effective against severe COVID-19 and hospitalization, with 75% efficacy against moderate or severe disease,” reports Reuters.
“We are confident that this vaccine can play an important role as we continue to address this pandemic and prepare for the post-pandemic period,” Roger Connor, president of GSK Vaccines, said in a statement
Reuters adds:
Sanofi is hoping for a comeback after falling behind in the race for COVID-19 shots, while GSK, the world’s biggest vaccine maker by sales, has not developed its own candidate and is instead supplying its adjuvant technology to developers.
Sanofi-GSK’s shot relies on a conventional protein-based approach, compared with the newer mRNA technology used in established COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
Bloomberg provides important context:
The Sanofi-Glaxo inoculation has some potential advantages over most existing Covid shots. It can be kept at refrigerator temperatures, making it easier to transport and store than the current mRNA shots. The product also relies on recombinant protein technology that Sanofi uses to make flu vaccines and an adjuvant from Glaxo to enhance the immune response.
