Vaccine Info

Shingles Vaccines

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Staff
Last reviewed
February 1, 2024
Fact checked by
Robert Carlson, MD
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Shingles Vaccines 2024

Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), known as shingles, the same virus that causes chickenpox, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved shingles vaccines for use in the U.S. according to schedules published for 2023. Immuinize.org publishes updated FAQs regarding shingles vaccines. Various shingles vaccines are available in over 30 countries, including Brazil, Europe, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Shingles Vaccines Approved

Shingrix - GSK's Shingrix is a non-live, adjuvanted recombinant shingles vaccine (zoster) consisting of the varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E antigen and the AS01B adjuvant system, a proprietary adjuvant containing QS-21 and MPL with liposomes.

Zostavax - Merck's Zostavax is a live, attenuated varicella-zoster virus (weakened chickenpox virus) vaccine. According to the U.S. CDC, the zoster vaccine can be administered concurrently with all other live and inactivated vaccines, including those routinely recommended for people 60 years or older, such as influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.

SK bioscience's SKYZoster™ is a live vaccine that attenuates the varicella-zoster virus. SKYZoster was approved in South Korea by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in September 2017. It is also approved in Malaysia and Thailand. In addition, SK Bioscience plans to submit SKYZoster™ for WHO Pre-Qualification.

SINOVAC's live attenuated varicella vaccine, a WHO-prequalified Chinese varicella vaccine, was successfully delivered to the Republic of Türkiye in 2023. The vaccine was also registered in Lebanon and Kenya this year.

Shingles Vaccine Candidates 2024

Curevo Vaccine's Amezosvatein (CRV-101) is an adjuvanted subunit shingles vaccine candidate designed to maximize CMI protection by combining the gE protein antigen with our proprietary adjuvant. On January 7, 2024, Curevo announced positive data from a Phase 2 trial of Amezosvatein head-to-head versus Shingrix in participants 50 and older. 

BioNTech SE initiated a randomized, controlled, dose-selection Phase 1/2 clinical trial of BNT167 in February 2023. The clinical trial evaluates mRNA vaccine candidates' safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity against shingles. The last Update was Posted on March 24, 2023, and a data update is expected in 2023, with an estimated Primary Completion Date of July 5, 2025.

Jiangsu Recbio Technology Co., Ltd. announced on December 29, 2023, that REC610 is equipped with a novel adjuvant BFA01 independently developed by the Company, which can promote the production of high levels of VZV glycoprotein E (gE)-specific CD4+T cells and antibodies. On December 19, 2022, it received approval from the Philippines FDA to conduct a randomized, observer-blinded, phase I clinical trial. The Interim Analysis results published on December 29, 2023, showed that REC610 demonstrated an overall favorable safety and tolerability profile in healthy participants aged 40 and above after two vaccination doses. REC610 induced strong gE-specific humoral and cellular immune responses evident after the first vaccination and peaked 30 days after the second vaccination.

Immorna announced on January 9. 2023, that the U.S. FDA cleared its investigational new drug application to conduct a Phase 1 multi-center study of JCXH-105, a self-replicating RNA vaccine against Shingles. In addition, on May 30, 2023, it announced that the first subject had been dosed in the Company's First-In-Human (FIH) Phase 1 multi-center study of JCXH-105.

Dynavax's Z-1018 is an investigational vaccine candidate being developed to prevent shingles in adults aged 50 and older. Dynavax expects to submit an Investigational New Drug Application to the FDA to support a Phase 1/2 trial of Z-1018 in the first half of 2024.

Shingles Vaccination and Dementia

The journal BMC Public Health published on October 2, 2023, results from a study that concluded both zoster vaccine for prevention of shingles/herpes zoster and influenza vaccine to prevent influenza were associated with diminished risk of dementia, with the zoster association appearing more pronounced. A non-peer-reviewed study published on May 25, 2023, reported shingles vaccinations were associated with a 19.9% lower risk of dementia.

Shingles Vaccine Price

Most patients pay an out-of-pocket cost of about $50 per dose with insurance. The U.S. CDC Vaccine Price List was last updated in July 2022. As of January 2023, vaccinations covered under MedicaPartart D, approved and recommended by the CDC, will be covered without a co-pay. Vaccine prices and discount information are posted at InstantRx™.

Shingles Vaccine

January 9, 2024 - Original Research published by the Annuals of Internal Medicine found two doses of RZV were highly effective, although less effective than in the previous clinical trials. Two-dose effectiveness waned very little during the four years of follow-up. However, 1-dose effectiveness waned substantially after one year, underscoring the importance of the second dose.

January 7, 2024 - Dr. Guy De La Rosa, Curevo's Chief Medical Officer, commented, "Amezosvatein was developed specifically to provide high vaccine effectiveness and best-in-class tolerability. We are very excited by these Phase 2 data." 

May 30, 2023 - NgocDiep Le, M.D., Ph.D., Global Chief Medical Officer of Immorna, stated in a press release, "Due to its self-replicating Nature, JCXH-105 may be effective at a significantly reduced dose level compared to a non-replicating conventional mRNA vaccine, and thereby may cause less reactogenicity and substantially reduce the cost of production. In addition, due to the synthetic Nature of all JCXH-105 vaccine components, there are no raw material limitations or production bottlenecks."

February 9, 2023 - The journal Nature published a study that concluded that antiviral treatment did not positively affect long-term survival among HZ patients and suggested that HZ is a marker of long-term vascular risk. 

January 9, 2023 - Biosciencence announced that the Company had received a biologics license application approval of the SKYZoster™ from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency in Malaysia.

November 26, 2022 - Willingness to accept herpes zoster vaccines and the influencing factors in China.

November 16, 2022 - "Completing this ($26 million) A1 round ahead of data from our Phase 2b trial of CRV-101 head-to-head against Shingrix® is a meaningful demonstration of our investors' confidence in the CRV-101 program," said George Simeon, Curevo's CEO. 

September 15, 2022 - Curevo Vaccine announced the completion of enrollment in a Phase 2b trial of their CRV-101 subunit vaccine to prevent the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (shingles) in older adults.

August 2, 2022 - Tufts University and The University of Oxford researchers demonstrated the presence of two viruses that promote excess proteins responsible for Alzheimer's characteristic brain plaques. Study Conclusion: Our results are consistent with the suggestion that shingles cause the reactivation of HSV1 in the brain. The researchers reported that the reactivation of HSV1 was probably through inflammation.

June 1, 2022 - The Journal of Infectious Diseases published research that evaluated the association between recombinant, adjuvanted zoster vaccine COVID-19 outcomes at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. It concluded that RZV vaccination was associated with a 16% lower risk of COVID-19 diagnosis and a 32% lower risk of hospitalization. 

April 3, 2022 - A retrospective cohort study found adults (50 yrs+) with COVID-19 had a 15% increased risk of developing herpes zoster.

April 1, 2022 - Aurobindo Pharma Limited received final approval from the U.S. FDA for its Abbreviated New Drug Application, Acyclovir Oral Suspension USP, 200 mg/5 mL. Aurobindo Pharma's Acyclovir Oral Suspension, an AB-rated generic equivalent to the reference listed drug (RLD), ZOVIRAX ® (acyclovir), of Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. Acyclovir Oral Suspension is indicated for Acute Treatment of herpes zoster (shingles), Treatment of initial episodes and the management of recurrent episodes of genital herpes, and the Treatment of chickenpox (varicella).

March 25, 2022 - Consumer Reports published The Booster Shots You Need As an Adult. The shingles vaccine isn't commonly referred to as a booster, but it does count because it reminds your body how to fight the varicella-zoster virus.

March 14, 2022 - GreenLight Biosciences Holdings PBC announced a licensing agreement with Serum Institute of India, Pvt, Ltd., to accelerate access to messenger RNA products (Shingles) in emerging markets.

March 10, 2022 - The U.S. FDA confirmed that GSK completed its recall of 130,000 doses of Shingrix.

March 3, 2022 - Are You Aware of Your Shingles Risk?

February 28, 2022 - GSK launched the inaugural Shingles Awareness Week to educate the general public about shingles in collaboration with the International Federation on Ageing.

February 25, 2022 - GSK wrote the mysterious reactivation (of VZV) that a doctor studied for the first time in Cirencester, England, more than half a century ago. By tracking 1,270 patients from 1947 to 1962, R. Edgar Hope-Simpson demonstrated that shingles were not a new infection from an unknown pathogen but rather a reawakening of the VZV.

July 14, 2020 - Shingles Vaccination Rates Significantly Increased With Seniors.

February 13, 2020 - Shingles Vaccination Reduced Stroke Risk By 16%.

September 26, 2019 - Curevo, Inc. announced encouraging preliminary Phase I study results of their Shingles vaccine candidate, CRV-101. 

May 23, 2019 - GlaxoSmithKline plc announced that China's National Medical Products Administration approved Shingrix to prevent shingles in adults 50 or older.

 

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Clinical Trials

No clinical trials found