GlaxoSmithKline chief executive Emma Walmsley has received a boost after US regulators approved a whooping cough vaccine for unborn babies.
Boostrix, administered in the third trimester, helps mothers develop antibodies to the disease, which are then transferred to their unborn infants.
The drug was already approved in the US for use by adults, including pregnant mothers.
Boss: The decision by US regulators to approve the Boostrix vaccine will come as a relief for under-pressure Glaxo chief exec Dame Emma Walmsley (pictured)
But the latest decision makes Boostrix the first vaccine approved in the States specifically for use during pregnancy to protect babies in their first months of life.
It has been approved for maternal immunisation in the UK since April 2021.
GSK investors focused recently on the possibility of financial liabilities relating to lawsuits over heartburn drug Zantac.
Its consumer healthcare spin-off Haleon has also had a tough time, slumping in value after making its market debut this year.
Haleon is worth just over £25billion – months after Unilever’s £50billion takeover approach for the business was spurned.
