UK-based GSK and U.S-based Pfizer first began their RSV race when it came to winning FDA approval. GSK was able to win the race with its approval in May of last year, although Pfizer closely followed four weeks later.
Now, Pfizer has successfully one-upped GSK by winning a two-year contract in GSK’s home ground, the UK. The UK government has awarded Pfizer a supply contract under which it will provide 5 million RSV vaccines expected to become available from early August onwards.
Although financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed to ensure the commercial interests of the supplier are not compromised, over 3.5 million doses from the 5 million dose supply have been dedicated to older people, with the remaining approximately 1.4 million doses assigned to pregnant women.
The RSV immunization program is the result of efforts by government advisors who have been calling for a national rollout since last year. The program was officially introduced by the government at the beginning of this week, and details of how patients can receive their shots were also shared. The notice for the contract was posted earlier this month on the UK government’s “Find a Tender” website.
Regarding the loss of the contract, a spokesperson from GSK said, “We are disappointed not to have been selected to supply our RSV vaccine for the UK-eligible population. But we are very confident in the value it delivers, with data that demonstrates sustained efficacy against lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in adults aged 60 and over.”
RSV is known as the silent killer in the elderly. Each year in the UK and other high-income countries, around 33,000 deaths are caused by the disease in people over the age of 65. The disease has caused a similar number of NHS hospitalizations in children under the age of 5.
GSK’s head start with approval also meant that initially, its RSV vaccine Arexvy had a commercializing edge over Pfizer’s vaccine Abrysvo. The reported revenue for Arexvy last year was around 1.238 billion pounds ($1.5 billion), while Abrysvo brought in around $890 million. It should be noted, though, that the bulk of the sales of both vaccines come from the U.S. Data from January of this year suggests that more than two-thirds of the RSV vaccines given in the country were GSK’s.
In terms of price and performance, both vaccines are comparable. In the U.S., Arexvy’s per-shot price is listed at $295, while Pfizer lists Abrysvo’s price at $280 per shot. When it comes to the effectiveness of the vaccine against the disease, Arexvy has shown 94% effectiveness, while Abrysvo’s trial result came in at 89%.
