Meningococcal Vaccine: Protection, Risk, Schedule
Yes, You Still Need The Shingles Vaccine Even If You've Had Shingles
There's so much talk about vaccines these days, it's helpful to review which ones are the most proven and recommended, and when we should get them. One important vaccine your healthcare provider may or may not have mentioned to you yet, depending on your age and personal health profile, is the shingles vaccine.
The shingles vaccine is recommended for healthy adults age 50 or older, and also for anyone age 19 years or older who has a weakened immune system (for example, if you have recently been treated for cancer). Shingles may make you think of a red, painful rash or blisters, but symptoms can become even more serious. The most common complications of shingles include long-lasting, severe nerve pain (called postherpetic neuralgia), bacterial infections, and temporary or permanent vision or hearing loss due to shingles on the eye or ear. Shingles is also, unfortunately, very common. "We know that approximately one in every three people in the U.S. Will have shingles in their lifetime. It's therefore important for individuals who are eligible to get this vaccine, as it's been shown to be over 90 percent effective in preventing shingles and its complications," explains infectious-disease physician Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, MD, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Medicine. Among the small percentage who do still get shingles after vaccination, the shingles vaccine still has strong protective effects, reducing the severity of symptoms.
Doctors say that even people who've already had shingles should still get the shingles vaccine. "Immunity from natural infection—shingles itself—can wane over time," says Dr. Seth Cohen, MD, medical director of infection prevention at the University of Washington Medical Center. "Having shingles once does not provide lifelong immunity; studies show that the risk of shingles recurrence can be substantial, especially in older adults or those with weakened immune systems. Vaccination provides a controlled, targeted boost to immunity designed to protect against reactivation of the virus—it's a proactive step to protect your future health and reduce the risk of potentially debilitating complications."
If you're aware of the fact that shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus—the varicella-zoster virus—you might wonder if you still need a shingles vaccine if you had chickenpox as a child, or got the chickenpox vaccine. The answer: Yes, you definitely need a shingles vaccine if you've had chickenpox (interesting fact: More than 99 percent of Americans born in 1980 or before have had chickenpox, even if they don't remember it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). That's because the varicella-zoster virus is sneaky; after you have chickenpox, it can lie dormant in your nervous system for decades and re-emerge as shingles later in life, when your immune system isn't as strong. In other words, having had chickenpox can actually cause you to develop shingles down the road. The shingles vaccine is highly effective at boosting the immune system to prevent this delayed reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus.
If you were born after 1980, chances are you avoided getting chickenpox, as you likely received the childhood chickenpox vaccine introduced in 1995. That chickenpox vaccine also helps protect you against getting shingles, by preventing the varicella-zoster virus from entering your body when you're young. That said, it's still important to eventually get a shingles vaccine to boost your immunity to the virus. "You do still need a shingles vaccine later in life even if you received the chickenpox vaccine as a child," confirms Dr. Bernadette Anderson, MD, a board-certified family physician and wellness expert in Columbus, OH. "While the chickenpox vaccine reduces the risk of developing chickenpox, and in turn lowers the risk of developing shingles, it doesn't eliminate it entirely."
When it's time for you to get a shingles vaccine, your healthcare provider will need to administer two doses of Shingrix, the version of shingles vaccine currently recommended by the CDC. (Shingrix replaced Zostavax, a live vaccine that contained a weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus; the CDC discontinued its use in the U.S. In 2020 because its efficacy waned over time and it posed increased risks of side effects. Doctors recommend that anyone who previously got the Zostavax vaccine should also get the Shingrix vaccine.) Worth noting: You might also see the shingles vaccine referred to as the herpes zoster vaccine, the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) or the adjuvanted shingles vaccine—these technical terms all refer to the same vaccine, Shingrix. Instead of using live virus, the Shingrix vaccine uses a protein from the varicella zoster virus to stimulate the body to produce antibodies against the disease. Usually, the second dose is given two to six months after the first dose (or for immunocompromised individuals, one or two months later).
Like most vaccines, the shingles vaccine can have side effects, which typically last up to a few days. The most common side effects of the shingles vaccine include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, fever, upset stomach and tiredness. Rare-but-serious adverse events include developing Guillain-Barré syndrome or Bell's palsy. In the rare case that you have a severe allergic reaction after your first dose of the shingles vaccine, your healthcare provider may recommend that you do not get a second dose.
You can get the shingles vaccine at most pharmacies as well as at your doctor's office—and help avoid being among the one million people a year who get shingles in the U.S. And have to deal with its painful symptoms and worrisome possible complications.
Small Vaccine Maker Names Operation Warp Speed Leader As Chairman, Raises $110 Million
March 17, 2025
Senior Writer, Medicine, Editorial Director of Events
A small company developing a new shingles vaccine announced Monday that the venture capitalist Moncef Slaoui, who previously ran the U.S. Government's Operation Warp Speed Covid vaccine effort, would become its chairman.
The Seattle-based firm, Curevo Vaccine, also said that it has raised an additional $110 million from investors led by Medicxi, a London-based venture capital firm, and including OrbiMed, HBM Healthcare Investors, and Sanofi Ventures as well as existing investors RA Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, Adjuvant Capital, and GC Biopharma.
Curevo says that Phase 2 data show its vaccine could be as effective at preventing flare-ups of the shingles virus as GSK's Shingrix, which generated $4.3 billion global sales in 2024, with fewer side effects.
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SubscribeCurevo Raises $110 Million To Advance Amezosvatein Shingles Vaccine
Curevo Vaccine-- Amezosvatein has shown excellent immunogenicity and improved tolerability in Phase 2 study
-- Medicxi leads round, joined by new investors OrbiMed, HBM Healthcare Investments, and Sanofi Ventures
-- Former Chair of GSK's vaccine business and Chief Scientific Advisor to Operation Warp Speed, Moncef Slaoui, to join Curevo as Board Chair
SEATTLE, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curevo Vaccine (Curevo), a privately-held clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccines with improved tolerability, today announces the closing of a $110 million Series B round to advance development of amezosvatein, its vaccine for shingles.
Leading the round is new investor Medicxi, a European biotech-focused investment firm with significant experience investing in vaccine companies such as Vaxcyte and ViceBio. Joining Medicxi is an international group of investment funds including OrbiMed, HBM Healthcare Investments, and Sanofi Ventures plus existing investors RA Capital Management, Janus Henderson Investors, Adjuvant Capital, and founding investor GC Biopharma.
"This Series B round will fund the extension of our successful Phase 2 program into an additional 640 participants, including the key population of adults over age 70, to finalize dose selection ahead of the Phase 3 program," said Curevo's CEO, George Simeon, MBA/MPH. "Designed based upon feedback from regulators and other stakeholders, this short extension trial will begin mid-2025 and serve to set the company for clinical, strategic, and regulatory success."
Concurrent with the round, Moncef Slaoui, PhD, will join Curevo as Board Chair. Dr. Slaoui was most recently the Chief Scientific Advisor to Operation Warp Speed during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping deliver vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. He spent nearly 30 years at GlaxoSmithKline, during which he helped shape its vaccine business by contributing to the creation of numerous new vaccines including Shingrix® (shingles), Cervarix® (HPV-induced cervical cancer), Mosquirix® (malaria), Rotarix® (rotavirus gastroenteritis), and Synflorix® (pneumococcal disease).
"I have been collaborating with the Curevo team for several weeks now," stated Dr. Slaoui. "I'm very excited to work with them to help perfect shingles vaccination, adding good tolerability to the exceptional efficacy achieved by the current vaccine. The data so far show Curevo's adjuvant technology has the attributes to succeed in this endeavor."
Also joining Curevo's Board of Directors will be Giovanni Mariggi, PhD, co-founder and Partner at Medicxi, an experienced infectious disease investor and board member. "Patients, doctors, and payors are very clear a new shingles vaccine like amezosvatein would be welcome in the global marketplace. Amezosvatein's activity and improved tolerability profile could allow it to be a significant product in the shingles vaccines market. We are excited to support Curevo's plan with a streamlined path to approval," stated Dr. Mariggi.
Tal Zaks, MD/PhD, will be joining Curevo's Board of Directors on behalf of OrbiMed. Dr. Zaks is the former Chief Medical Officer of Moderna, where he led development of their mRNA vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. He previously held senior leadership positions in drug development at GSK and Sanofi. "OrbiMed has a long history of investing in biotech companies like Curevo seeking to improve healthcare outcomes while creating long-term shareholder value," said Dr. Zaks. "The fact amezosvatein contains an optimized version of the TLR4 agonist with a known mechanism of action reduces biological risk while providing the competitive advantage of potentially improved tolerability, which should position it as the first choice for people who want to be protected from shingles."
About amezosvatein'Amezosvatein' is the assigned non-proprietary name for CRV-101, a non-mRNA adjuvanted subunit vaccine under investigation by Curevo. Like Shingrix, amezosvatein uses a subunit protein antigen called glycoprotein 'E' (gE). Targeting the gE antigen is proven to elicit a long-term, protective immune response to prevent shingles. Amezosvatein's adjuvant contains an optimized version of the TLR4 agonist proven by Shingrix to be biologically active in shingles vaccination. Amezosvatein was engineered to maintain exceptional efficacy and have a best-in-class tolerability profile. The SLA-SE adjuvant formulation was developed at Seattle-based Access to Advanced Health Institute (AAHI) and amezosvatein was licensed from the Mogam Institute for Biomedical Research, a research institute funded by South Korea's GC Biopharma.
About CurevoCurevo is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company based near Seattle dedicated to reducing the burden of infectious disease by developing vaccines with improved tolerability and accessibility. Curevo's lead product is amezosvatein, a non-mRNA adjuvanted sub-unit vaccine to prevent shingles, a serious medical condition involving a painful, blistering skin rash where 10-18% of people also develop serious, long-lasting nerve pain. The current $4+ billion shingles vaccine market is characterized by accessibility issues and vaccine hesitancy/dose avoidance related to vaccine tolerability. For more information visit https://curevovaccine.Com/.
About MedicxiMedicxi is a healthcare-focused investment firm with the mission to create and invest in companies across the full drug development continuum. Leveraging deep expertise in drug development and company creation spanning over two decades, Medicxi invests in early and late-stage therapeutics with a product vision that can fulfill a clear unmet medical need. For more information, please visit: https://www.Medicxi.Com.
About OrbiMedOrbiMed is a leading global healthcare investment firm with approximately $17 billion in assets under management. OrbiMed invests globally across the healthcare industry, from start-ups to large multinational corporations, via private equity funds, public equity funds, and royalty/credit funds. OrbiMed seeks to be a capital provider of choice, providing tailored financing solutions and extensive global team resources to help build world-class healthcare companies. OrbiMed's team of over 100 professionals is based in New York City, London, San Francisco, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Herzliya, and other key global markets. For more information, please visit www.Orbimed.Com.
About HBM Healthcare InvestmentsSwitzerland-based HBM Healthcare Investments focuses on the healthcare sector, holding and managing an international portfolio of promising companies in the human medicine, biotechnology, medical technology, diagnostics, and related areas. Many of these companies have their lead products already available on the market or are at an advanced stage of development. The portfolio companies are closely tracked and actively guided in their strategic direction. This is what makes HBM Healthcare Investments an interesting alternative to investments in big pharma and biotechnology companies. HBM Healthcare Investments has an international shareholder base and is listed on SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX:HBMN).
About Sanofi VenturesSanofi Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Sanofi, focused on investing in promising early-stage healthcare companies. The firm supports pioneering innovations in biotechnology, digital health, and life sciences aligning with Sanofi's mission to bring life-changing treatments to patients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.Sanofiventures.Com.
About RA CapitalFounded in 2004, RA Capital Management is a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies. RA Capital creates and funds innovative companies, from private seed rounds to public follow-on financings, allowing management teams to drive value creation from inception through commercialization and beyond. RA Capital's knowledge engine is guided by its TechAtlas internal research division, and Raven, RA Capital's healthcare incubator, offers entrepreneurs and innovators a collaborative and comprehensive platform to explore the novel and the re-imagined. RA Capital has more than 150 employees and over $10 billion in assets under management.
About Janus Henderson InvestorsJanus Henderson Investors exists to help clients achieve their long-term financial goals. Its active management offers clients the opportunity to outperform passive portfolios over the course of market cycles. With more than 360 investment professionals, Janus Henderson Investors provides access to some of the industry's most talented and innovative thinkers, spanning equities, fixed income, multi-asset, and alternatives, globally. Its investment teams blend insight, originality, and precision with rigorous analysis, structured processes, and robust risk management. Janus Henderson Investors builds client partnerships on openness and trust, channeling expertise from across the business and communicating the views of its experts in a timely and relevant way. Https://www.Janushenderson.Com/
About Adjuvant CapitalHeadquartered in New York, with offices in Zürich, Adjuvant is a global life science investment fund built to accelerate the development of new technologies for the world's most pressing public health challenges. Backed by prominent healthcare and emerging market investors, Adjuvant draws upon its network of scientists, public health experts, biopharmaceutical industry veterans, and development finance professionals to identify new investment opportunities. Adjuvant invests in companies developing promising new vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices targeting high-burden infectious diseases, maternal and child health, antimicrobial resistance, and malnutrition, with a commitment to make these interventions accessible globally. For more information, visit http://www.Adjuvantcapital.Com
About GC BiopharmaFounding investor GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Yongin, South Korea. The company has over half a century of experience in the development and manufacturing of plasma derivatives and vaccines and expanded its global presence with the successful USA market entry of ALYGLO™ (intravenous immunoglobulin G) in 2024. In line with its mission to meet the demands of future healthcare, GC Biopharma continues to drive innovation by leveraging its core R&D capabilities in engineering of proteins, mRNAs, and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) drug delivery platforms to develop therapeutics for the field of rare disease as well as I&I (Immunology & Inflammation). To learn more about the company, visit https://www.Gcbiopharma.Com/eng/
Shingrix®, Cervarix®, Mosquirix®, Rotarix®, and Synflorix® are registered trademarks of GlaxoSmithKline, PLC.
CONTACT: Contacts David Miller Sr. Director of Strategic Communications pr@curevovaccine.Com
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