Emily Carter-Richardson, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on how introduction of social distancing measures could impact the development of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines:
“The infection control measures of social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will also reduce the prevalence of seasonal RSV, since they exhibit similar modes of transmission. While the reduction in circulating viruses is positive for a population with an already stretched health system, lower overall prevalence could have a detrimental effect on candidate vaccines currently in development.
“GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer all have large Phase II studies ongoing for their vaccine candidates. Vaccine clinical development is often troubled by failure to demonstrate protective efficacy, and this is particularly a problem for infectious diseases with low prevalence...
Full text GMPnews.Net