China vaccine test provide a shot in the arm for Glaxo boss

Pharma giant GSK and its boss Emma Walmsley received a boost in strong results from a clinical trial in China.

The FTSE 100 firm’s blockbuster shingles vaccine shingrix was 100pc effective in a recent study in adults over the age of 50.

No cases of shingles, a condition similar to chicken pox that causes painful rashes and commonly affects older people, were reported among patients who received the jab in a trial, involving nearly 6,000 people.

While Chinese regulators first approved shingrix for over-50s in 2019, the latest trial was done to comply with new requirements as well as gauge its effectiveness and safety.

GSK shares rose 0.6pc, or 7.8p, to 1364.8p. The company noted that due to China’s ageing population, the incidence of shingles was expected to increase from around 6m cases per year. 

The trial results provide further momentum for Walmsley, who is spearheading a focus on developing vaccines and cancer drugs following the spin-out of its consumer division Haleon last year.