Top Herpes Zoster Therapeutics Companies

The global herpes zoster therapeutics industry is moderately consolidated, with major pharmaceutical companies competing on innovation, global expansion, and technological integration. Leading players such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., and Sanofi dominate through their robust product portfolios and continued investments in R&D. GSK’s Shingrix remains a market leader due to its high efficacy and expanding global approvals. In 2024, GSK further strengthened its market presence by partnering with AI health tech firms to enhance post-marketing surveillance and vaccine effectiveness tracking.

The herpes zoster therapeutics market is increasingly witnessing the entry of innovative startups that are reshaping the landscape with novel approaches to vaccine development, antiviral therapies, and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) management. These startups are leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as AI-driven drug discovery, gene editing, and personalized medicine to develop more effective treatments. Many are focusing on improving vaccine efficacy, enhancing patient outcomes through digital health solutions, and reducing the recurrence rates of shingles.

• Vaxine Pty Ltd (Founded 2018): Vaxine is an Australian biotech startup focused on developing vaccines for infectious diseases. The company is working on an innovative herpes zoster vaccine that aims to improve the immune response in older adults, who are at higher risk for shingles. Vaxine uses its proprietary Matrix-M™ adjuvant technology to enhance the effectiveness of the vaccine, making it potentially more potent and long-lasting than current market alternatives. Unique Aspects: Vaxine’s approach involves optimizing the immune system’s ability to respond to the herpes zoster virus, particularly targeting the aging population who often show weaker immune responses. This could help reduce the incidence of shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia. Vision: Vaxine is committed to improving global health by developing vaccines that provide stronger, longer-lasting immunity, especially for high-risk groups. Their innovative approach could potentially lead to a new standard of care for shingles prevention.

• EpiVax (Founded 2018): EpiVax is a biotechnology startup focused on the design and development of immunotherapies and vaccine solutions. Their platform is centered around epitope-based vaccine design, which uses computer modeling to predict the most effective regions of a virus to target with a vaccine. EpiVax is actively exploring solutions for herpes zoster by using its platform to design more targeted, efficient vaccines for shingles prevention. Unique Aspects: EpiVax uses computational immunology to create vaccines that are personalized and designed to elicit a stronger immune response. Their focus on peptide-based vaccines could provide an innovative way to enhance the immune system’s ability to fight off the herpes zoster virus and reduce the severity of the disease.

Top Player’s Company Profile

• Dynavax Technologies Corporation

• Yither Biotech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

• Virios Therapeutics and WEX Pharmaceuticals

• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

• Merck & Co., Inc.

• Pfizer Inc.

• ModernaTX, Inc.

• Curevo, Inc.

• Jiangsu Recbio Technology Co., Ltd.

• Luzhu Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

• Immorna Biotherapeutics, Inc.

• Zhuhai Trinomab Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

• Green Cross Corporation

• ICON plc

• Bristol-Myers Squibb