GSK announces availability of RSV vaccine Arexvy
GSK announced that Arexvy (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine, Adjuvanted) is now available in the United States at all major retail pharmacies. In June, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that persons 60 years of age and older may receive a single dose of RSV vaccine, using shared clinical decision making. Shared clinical decision making empowers patients, in consultation with their healthcare providers, to decide whether RSV vaccination is appropriate for them. Arexvy is indicated for the prevention of RSV-lower respiratory tract disease in individuals aged 60 years and older.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, patients with Medicare Part D will pay no out-of-pocket expenses. As part of the Affordable Care Act, Arexvy may be covered for commercially insured patients at no cost when administered in-network. Patients should ask their doctor or pharmacist if Arexvy is covered, GSK advised.
[Read more: Kinney Drugs to administer RSV vaccine for adults over age 60 years old]
Rob Truckenmiller, senior vice president, head of U.S. Vaccines at GSK, said, “We are excited to announce that Arexvy is now available to older adults in major retail pharmacies across the United States ahead of this year’s RSV season. As the makers of the first FDA-approved RSV vaccine for older adults, we’re hopeful that RSV vaccines, like Arexvy, will help reduce the considerable clinical, economic and human impact that RSV has on older adults and our public health system.”
[Read more: GSK starts shipping influenza vaccines for 2021-2022 season]
GSK noted that there are an estimated 76.5 million people aged 60 and older in the US. Older adults, including those with underlying medical conditions, such as chronic heart disease, chronic lung disease or diabetes, are at increased risk for RSV-associated hospitalization. RSV causes approximately 177,000 hospitalizations and an estimated 14,000 deaths in adults aged 65 and older in the United States each year. For adults 60 and older, data suggest an increased risk for severe RSV infection that can lead to hospitalization, GSK said.