The US vaccines specialist Moderna, which made its name through the success of its Covid-19 shot, is preparing to launch a new respiratory shot, putting it in competition with GSK.
Moderna said it continued to expect initial regulatory approvals for its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults from the first half of this year.
The Massachusetts-based company became one of the first with a vaccine to combat Covid-19 and said on Thursday that it “is well-prepared for the launch of its second respiratory vaccine, which will build upon the success of its commercial efforts in the Covid-19 market”.
Its profits and share price soared in New York during the height of the pandemic but both have dropped as the crisis waned, and its management and investors have instead focused on its emerging pipeline.
Moderna believes having the only filled syringe product makes it competitive and means its “ready-to-use formulation” will save pharmacists and clinicians time as well as potentially reducing administration errors.
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In addition to the US, Moderna hopes to launch the RSV vaccine in Australia and Germany this year and “other markets” in 2025.
RSV is a common contagious virus affecting the lungs and breathing passages. It can worsen conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and chronic heart failure, and can lead to pneumonia and death. Older adults and infants are at higher risk.
GSK, the FTSE 100, London-based company, became the first to secure approval for its RSV vaccine from America’s Food and Drug Administration last May, shortly before Pfizer, the US drugs group. GSK and Pfizer are locked in a patent dispute in the US over their vaccines.
Arexvy, GSK’s vaccine, generated sales of £1.2 billion last year, following its launch, and led GSK to upgrade its longer-term financial forecasts last month. Analysts estimate Moderna’s shot will generate $280 million this year. However, trial data has raised investors’ concerns about faster efficacy declines compared with the vaccines from GSK and Pfizer.
Posting its annual results, Moderna reported a better-than-expected $217 million of fourth-quarter profit, helped by cost cutting and deferred payments.
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The shares rose $11.85, or 13.5 per cent, to close at $99.44, but remain well below a peak of about $497 in 2021.
