The British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is initiating an innovative study that has the potential to prevent millions of UK residents from developing dementia, as disclosed by The Mail on Sunday.
The pioneering research will utilize data from as many as 1.4 million subjects.
NHS
Patients will be tested to determine if their shingles vaccine can lower the risk of this degenerative illness, which is the nation’s leading cause of death, accounting for 75,000 fatalities annually.
A four-year initiative aims to validate growing proof suggesting that the Shingrix vaccine—already provided through the NHS—may reduce the likelihood of developing dementia by as much as 27 percent when contrasted with the older shingles vaccine, Zostavax, which similarly offers protection.
Tony Wood, GSK’s chief scientific officer, said: ‘We hope this will not only answer key questions to help reduce dementia risk but also pave the way for future research.’
Specialists are enthusiastic about this progress since currently, there is no known cure or reliable therapy for dementia.
Current hit medications like lecanemab and donanemab are deemed not cost-efficient enough for utilization within the NHS.
Should the effectiveness of the Shingrix vaccination be verified, it would imply that millions of elderly individuals could gain advantage from a vaccine that is already being provided via the National Health Service.
Since 2023, this vaccine has been available to all individuals who turn 65, aiming to safeguard them from the varicella zoster virus responsible for approximately 50,000 annual cases of shingles.
Professor Adam Finn, who serves on the government’s Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunization, mentioned that they had already planned to broaden the distribution of the shingles vaccine to include everyone aged 60 and older.
However, he also stated: “Should evidence emerge of a dementia-preventive impact, it could justify administering the vaccine at an even younger age due to its potential cost-effectiveness.”
The largest study to date is set to commence, aiming to compare the incidence of dementia diagnoses among individuals who received the vaccine against those in an age-matched cohort who did not get vaccinated.
Dr. Sheona Scales, the director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, stated, “The impact of the shingles vaccine on dementia risk remains uncertain. It could potentially affect this risk by decreasing inflammation, improving general immunity, or due to some other mechanisms,” she explained.
This research might assist in revealing these processes and offer understanding about whether the vaccine could contribute to postponing the start of dementia.
Currently, two shots of Shingrix are provided to individuals aged 65 and older who reached their birthday on or after September 1, 2023.
Due to supply problems, individuals who reached the age of 65 previously qualify for benefits only once they reach 70 years old.
This situation has proven perfect for research purposes: two groups of individuals with comparable ages, where one group has been vaccinated while the other hasn’t.
Mr. Wood stated, “The United Kingdom’s distinctive nationwide health data repositories present a substantial prospect for advanced research endeavors.”
Dr. Richard Oakley, who serves as the associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, stated: “The age-based criteria have resulted in a substantial group of people whose information can now be examined similar to how we analyze clinical trials.”
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