Johnson & Johnson is stopping work to develop a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for older adults — a move that will allow the company to "prioritize the most transformational assets for ongoing investment."
The drugmaker announced plans to discontinue a phase three trial for the shot in a March 29 press release, describing the decision as "part of a broader effort to make strategic choices for its pipeline and research and development investments to focus on medicines with the greatest potential benefit to patients."
Johnson & Johnson first launched the phase three trial in September 2021, which involved about 23,000 adults aged 60 and older.
Meanwhile, several other drugmakers, including Pfizer, are pushing ahead with plans to gain FDA approval for their RSV vaccine candidates. There is currently no approved vaccine for the disease.