GSK halts Simplirix trial

LONDON British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline has stopped a late-stage trial of a vaccine for genital herpes, citing disappointing results, GSK said Thursday.

The company said that while the vaccine Simplirix (herpes simplex vaccine) proved to be safe when administered to women as a prevention for genital herpes disease, it did not prevent infection. GSK had been conducting the phase 3 trial in 8,323 women ages 18 to 30 years in the United States and Canada under a partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

“We would like to express our gratitude toward our partner, [the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases], for [its] proactive collaboration and substantial contribution in the program, and the volunteers for their participation in the study,” GSK VP and director for late clinical development Gary Dubin said.