GSK plc is preparing filings for its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in older people following supportive late-stage trial results, a product which could play a vital role as it spins out its consumer business arm. The vaccine could be a potential blockbuster for GSK, worth as much as $7 billion in peak annual sales if approved in all its potential uses – although trials in pregnant women remain on hold because of safety concerns.

Researchers have identified a compound, ML-901, that showed highly specific and potent inhibition of the malaria parasite.