J&J’s RSV Shot Cut Disease Risk by 80 Percent in Older People

Johnson and Johnson’s investigational vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) reduced the risk of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease by 80 percent in older adults in a phase 2b trial.

J&J subsidiary Janssen released data showing that the CYPRESS study met both its primary vaccine efficacy endpoint and a secondary goal, reducing by 70 percent the risk of any symptomatic RSV-associated acute respiratory infection in adults aged 62 and older.

“With no vaccine or broadly-indicated antiviral treatment available, preventive solutions to address the significant morbidity and mortality in older adults caused by RSV have long been an unmet need,” said Penny Heaton, Janssen’s global therapeutic area head, vaccines.

The study included 5,782 patients who were randomized to receive the vaccine or placebo. The investigation now proceeds to a global phase 3 study, which aims to recruit 23,000 adults aged 60 and older in North America, Europe, Asia, and Asia Pacific.