Merck Sharpe and Dohme reports positive Zostavax trial data

Merck Sharpe and Dohme has announced positive phase III clinical trial data for Zostavax, its vaccine therapy for herpes zoster, also known as shingles.

Results from a study trialling the drug among adult patients aged between 50 and 59 has been published in the latest issue of the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, highlighting its benefits compared to placebo.

Over the course of the study, patients receiving Merck's vaccine were shown to experience a significantly reduced risk of developing shingles compared to those in the control group, with rates falling by nearly 70 percent.

Data from this trial has already been used to support the drug's US approval for use among this patient group last year.

Dr Myron Levin, one of the study's investigators and professor of paediatrics and medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, said: "The results of this study demonstrate the importance of Zostavax to help prevent shingles in adults ages 50 to 59."

Last month, the company also reported positive phase III trial data for vorapaxar, an investigational antithrombotic medicine for the prevention of cardiovascular events.