GSK’s Herpes Shot Fails in Early Trial in Blow for Drugmaker (1)

GSK Plc’s experimental vaccine for herpes failed in an early-stage trial, halting an effort to bring the first shot for the condition to market.

While there were no safety concerns, the trial for a therapeutic vaccine to treat the herpes simplex virus didn’t meet its efficacy objective, the British drugmaker said in a statement Wednesday.

There are currently no approved vaccines for the virus, which causes genital herpes, although there is a shot for the herpes virus that causes chickenpox.

GSK’s shares fell about 1% in early London trading. It had risen by around 15% this year.

The study’s ...