GSK’s Shingles Shot Linked to Delayed Dementia Onset in Study

  • Findings need follow-up to establish protective mechanism
  • Impact appears similar to new Alzheimer’s drugs: researcher

A scientist works in a GSK laboratory in Stevenage, UK.

Photographer: Vivian Wan/Bloomberg
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GSK Plc’s shingles vaccine was linked to a longer delay in dementia onset than a competing shot, a finding that suggests superior protective powers against one of the world’s most threatening conditions.

People who received the Shingrix vaccine lived an average of 164 days longer without a dementia diagnosis than those who got Merck & Co.’s Zostavax, according to a study published Thursday in the Nature Medicine journal. The Merck vaccine was linked to lower dementia risk in a study last year.