Proactive Investors - GSK PLC (LON:GSK) announced that its Shingrix vaccine demonstrated 100% efficacy in preventing shingles among adults aged 50 and over in China.
The data comes from the first efficacy trial of Shingrix in the country, involving nearly 6,000 participants.
No cases of shingles were reported among those who received the vaccine, compared to 31 cases in the group that received a placebo.
The results align with GSK's earlier phase III trials, which showed up to 97% efficacy in the same age group.
The safety profile of the vaccine was also consistent with previous findings.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
The virus remains dormant in most adults and can reactivate as shingles as people age.
With China's population of people aged 65 and over expected to rise from 6.8% in 2000 to 23.6% by 2050, the number of shingles cases, currently estimated at 6 million per year, is likely to increase.
Shingrix was first licensed in China in 2019 for the prevention of shingles in adults over 50. The recent trial was conducted to meet regulatory requirements for evaluating the vaccine's efficacy and safety in China.
The findings will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal later this year.