“ The Covid has been a tremendous accelerator to demonstrate the power of messenger RNA, but we are not just a Covid biotech »entrusted to World Stéphane Bancel, the boss of Moderna, visiting Paris in November 2022. The results announced on Tuesday January 17 by biotech seem to be demonstrating this.
The pharmaceutical laboratory, based in the Boston area, and one of the pioneers in the world of messenger RNA, announced positive results for its phase 3 trial on the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), responsible, in particular , bronchiolitis in the elderly. According to data from this double-blind trial, conducted in twenty-two countries on 37,000 people over the age of 60, the biotech’s messenger RNA vaccine showed nearly 84% effectiveness against respiratory tract infections. lower caused by the virus.
“We have clearly shown the effectiveness of our platform for Covid. These results are further proof of the usefulness of messenger RNA as a therapeutic option for patients. We’ve only been working on RSV for a few years. But messenger RNA allows us to go faster, while proceeding in a careful and thoughtful way”observes Paul Burton, the medical director of Moderna.
The respiratory syncytial virus, which binds to the cells lining the respiratory tract and kills them, causes inflammation, which is the cause of bronchiolitis or pneumonia in particular. The vaccine developed by Moderna uses messenger RNA, encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles identical to those used for its vaccine against Covid-19, to manufacture the protein which will allow the immune system to trigger a response to the virus, and therefore to protect the patient.
Big ambitions
Discovered in the mid-1950s, RSV is best known for the bronchiolitis that affects millions of infants worldwide each year. But it is also very strong in the elderly. “ In the G7 countries alone, it is estimated that around five million people over the age of 60 are affected each year. Among them, 500,000 are hospitalized because of the virus and around 30,000 die from it. », notes Mr. Burton. Despite research carried out over several decades, no vaccine has yet been marketed.
Progress in recent years, however, is on the verge of remedying this. Based on its results, Moderna plans to submit, “ probably in the spring », a request for marketing authorization from the health authorities of several regions, particularly in the United States and Europe. Subject to them deeming the data strong and sufficient enough, the US biotech’s bronchiolitis vaccine could be available for the elderly in the upcoming winter season, “ end of 2023 or beginning of 2024 »hopes Paul Burton.
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