National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends SHINGRIX for the prevention of shingles for adults aged 50 and up

MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 18, 2018 /CNW/ - The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has made a strong recommendation for SHINGRIX, GSK's vaccine for the prevention of shingles. NACI recommends SHINGRIX should be offered to individuals 50 years of age and older without contraindications. Further, NACI indicates a strong recommendation should be followed unless there is a clear and compelling rationale for an alternative approach.ⁱ

Shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox.ⁱⁱ More than 90 percent of those over 50 years old have had chickenpox and are at risk for shingles. A person's risk for shingles increases with age and an estimated 30% of Canadians will develop shingles in their lifetime.^iii,iv,v

Dr Susie Barnes, Vice President and Country Medical Director, GSK Canada said: "After the age of 50 a person's risk for shingles increases. With approximately 130,000 new cases of shingles each year in Canada, the NACI recommendation is an important step forward for prevention of the disease among older Canadian adults."

SHINGRIX is indicated for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster) in people aged 50 years or older.^vi

About shingles
Shingles is caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox.ⁱⁱ

Shingles typically presents as a rash, with painful blisters across the chest, abdomen or face. The pain is often described as aching, burning, stabbing or shock-like. Following the rash, a person can also experience post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), pain that can last for months or years. ^ix PHN is the most common complication of shingles, occurring in up to 30 percent of all shingles cases.^vii

Shingles affects an estimated 130,000 Canadians annually^v Incidence rates are similar throughout North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions^xiii Older adults and those with conditions that compromise the immune system have the greatest risk for developing shingles. Nearly all adult Canadians (>90%) have had chickenpox and are therefore at risk for shingles. An estimated 30% will develop shingles in their lifetime and the risk increases to 50% for those who live to 85 years of age^i,ix

About SHINGRIX
SHINGRIX [Herpes Zoster vaccine (non-live recombinant, AS01_B adjuvanted)] is a non-live, recombinant subunit adjuvanted vaccine to help prevent herpes zoster (shingles) in adults 50 years of age and older. The vaccine is to be given intramuscularly in two doses with a two-to-six month interval between doses and combines an antigen (VZV glycoprotein E) and an adjuvant system (AS01_B).^viii

The Product Monograph, posted at www.ca.gsk.com, should be consulted for complete administration and safety information.

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. For further information, please visit www.ca.gsk.com.

© GSK group of companies or its licensor. Trademarks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 3.D 'Principal risks and uncertainties' in the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2016.

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^i	National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). Updated Recommendations on the Use of Herpes Zoster Vaccines. Public Health Agency of Canada, June 2018
^ii	Harpaz R, Ortega-Sanchez IR, Seward JF; Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2008 Jun;57(RR-5):1-30. Prevention of herpes zoster: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
^iii	National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). Statement on the Recommended use of Herpes Zoster Vaccine. January 2010, 36(ASC-1):1-19.
^iv	Brisson, M, et al. Modelling the impact of immunization on the epidemiology of varicella zoster virus. Epidemiol. Infect. 2000; 125, 651-669
^v	Canadian Immunization Guide: Part 4 – Active Vaccines, Herpes Zoster (Shingles) Vaccine.Last updated March 2014.Accessed June 1, 2018.  http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/publications/healthy-living-vie-saine/4-canadian-immunization-guide-canadien-immunisation/index-eng.php?page=8
^vi	SHINGRIX Canadian Product Monograph, October 2017
^vii	Kawai, et al. BMJ Open. 2014; 4(6). Systematic review of incidence and complications of herpes zoster: towards a global perspective.
^viii	The GSK proprietary AS01 adjuvant system contains QS-21 Stimulon® adjuvant licensed from Antigenics LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN), MPL and liposomes.

SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline Inc.

For further information: GSK enquiries: Canada media inquiries: Michelle Smolenaars Hunter, [phone] (Mississauga); Catherine Fisette, [phone] (Laval)

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