Herpes Zoster Vaccine Candidate To Enter $5 Billion Market

Curevo Vaccine today announced positive updated immunogenicity and safety data from its Phase 2 trial of amezosvatein (CRV-101) head-to-head versus Shingrix® in participants 50 years of age and older.

“The Day 421 Phase 2 data continue to support our view that amezosvatein has a comparable effect on the human immune system as Shingrix,” said Dr. Guy De La Rosa, Curevo’s Chief Medical Officer, in a press release on January 12, 2025.

CRV-101 is a non-mRNA adjuvanted subunit vaccine. Similar to Shingrix, amezosvatein uses a subunit protein antigen called glycoprotein ‘E’ (gE). Targeting the gE antigen is proven to elicit a long-term, protective immune response to prevent shingles.

Also, like Shingrix, amezosvatein uses an adjuvant targeting the TLR4 pathway to boost the immune response to the gE antigen.

The SLA-SE adjuvant formulation was developed at the Access to Advanced Health Institute. Amezosvatein was licensed from the Mogam Institute for Biomedical Research, a research institute funded by South Korea’s GC Biopharma.

“Amezosvatein’s non-inferior immunogenicity data and comparable herpes zoster case data, combined with amezosvatein’s improved tolerability versus Shingrix in this Phase 2 trial we reported this time last year, provide us with great confidence and excitement to continue development of this vaccine.”

“This is in a market expected to be worth over $5 billion in 2025,” noted George Simeon, Curevo’s Chief Executive Officer.

Currently, the U.S. CDC recommends two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix) to prevent shingles and related complications in adults over> 50. And the CDC recommends two doses of RZV for adults who are or will be immunodeficient or immunosuppressed.

In 2025, Shingrix is offered at various pharmacies.