pfizer inc says it gained us clearance for its rsv vaccine in older adults the second drugmaker to bring a shot to a market estimated to be worth 10 billion within a decade the us food and drug administration approved the newyork based company’s vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus according to a statement wednesday rival gsk plc won authorization for a similar immunization less than a month ago pfizer’s rsv vaccine called abrysvo will now go headtohead with gsk to convince doctors and insurers to choose their shots the rsv space is set to become even more crowded as moderna inc is working on an injection for the respiratory disease that’s based on the same messenger rna technology powering its covid19 vaccine astrazeneca plc and sanofi are also preparing a longacting antibody a preventive drug that will function somewhat like a vaccine against rsv while gsk beat pfizer to fda approval the us company was first to win backing from the regulator’s advisory committee in early march at the time the advisers voted 7 to 4 that pfizer’s rsv vaccine is safe and effective with several raising concerns about a lack of data as well as two incidents of a rare nerve condition called guillainbarré syndrome among those who were vaccinated pfizer is also seeking approval for an rsv vaccine for use in pregnant mothers to protect their newborns and was first to gain a nod from an fda advisory committee for such a shot earlier this month read more pfizer’s maternal rsv vaccine first to win fda panel support discovered in 1956 rsv quickly became recognized as one of the most common causes of childhood illness and can also prove dangerous for the elderly the virus affects an estimated 64 million people globally and causes 160000 deaths each year according to the us national institute of allergy and infectious diseases it’s taken 60 years for scientists to develop protection against the common sometimes deadly virus in part because some efforts to develop vaccines in the 1960s turned out to exacerbate the disease