LONDON: The European Commission has followed the United States in approving the world’s first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus to be used by adults aged 60 and over, its maker GlaxoSmithKline said on Wednesday.

The United States last month approved the drug, called Arexvy, while the vaccine is the culmination of a decades-long hunt to protect vulnerable people from the common disease.

RSV typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can be severe in infants and the elderly, as well as those with weakened immune systems and underlying conditions.

In severe cases it can lead to pneumonia and bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways inside the lungs.

Analysts estimate the market could exceed $10 billion over the next decade, with similar shots from other manufacturers including Pfizer and Moderna expected to follow soon.

“This authorization for ArxV means that eligible adults can be vaccinated against RSV disease for the first time,” Tony Wood, GSK’s chief scientific officer, said in a statement.

GSK said RSV is “a common, contagious respiratory virus, which causes approximately 20,000 hospital deaths each year in Europe in adults aged 60 and over”.

The company’s shares traded flat in early London deals following the expected approval announcement.

RSV and flu rates fell during the Covid-19 lockdown, but when restrictions were lifted, young children were hit harder.

– 83% effective –
Stella Kyriakides, the EU commissioner for health and food safety, said she hoped the vaccine would prevent the problems that happened last winter.

“The Covid pandemic clearly showed the need for decisive action to better prepare the EU for emerging health threats,” she said in a separate statement.

“I now encourage Member States to quickly build on this authority and define national vaccination strategies so that those most at risk can reach them in the coming months before the next autumn season.”

The European Union’s drug watchdog recommended approval of Arxvi in ​​April after trials on 25,000 participants in 17 countries.

The results showed that the vaccine was 83 percent effective at preventing RSV-related illness in people aged 60 years or older, with generally mild side effects, according to the European Medicines Agency.

The vaccine uses an engineered protein and an adjuvant to boost antibodies and T cells that help fight RSV infection.

Moderna hopes to get approval for its RSV vaccine and make it available by the end of the year.

The European Union approved a preventive treatment against RSV in 2022, developed by British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and France’s Sanofi, that works similarly to a vaccine.