GlaxoSmithKline's bivalent HPV vaccine was overshadowed by Merck's 4-valent and 9-valent HPV vaccines in terms of valency. However, by incorporating a new, superior adjuvant of its own development into the recombinant herpes zoster vaccine Shingrix, it ultimately outperformed Merck's herpes zoster vaccine and successfully turned the tables.
Merck's Zostavax is a live attenuated herpes zoster virus vaccine that was the king of herpes zoster vaccines before the advent of Shingrix, with an unshakable position.
But the emergence of GlaxoSmithKline's Shingrix changed this landscape. Shingrix is a recombinant protein vaccine combining the gE protein of the herpes zoster virus with a proprietary AS01B adjuvant.
The addition of the AS01B adjuvant significantly boosted the immune response of this vaccine, allowing it to successfully defeat Merck's Zostavax and dethrone it.
