July 29Reuters Pfizer39;s, GSK39;s and Moderna39;s competition for arms for their new respiratory syncytial virus RSV vaccines is on Wall Street39;s watch list for when the companies report earnings later this week.

Investors and analysts said they are hoping for details on company negotiations with pharmacies for shelf space and the tactics they will use to gain share after U.S. regulators narrowed the recommendation for which older adults who should receive the shots this year.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month the shots should be used in adults 75 and older, as well as those who are 60 to 74 and have an increased risk of severe RSV due to medical conditions. Last year the first year the shots were on the market the age had effectively been 60 and up.

In 2023, GSK won twothirds of the market, mostly due to its contracts with retail pharmacies. The company has held on to its dominant market share in the U.S. so far this year, according to Iqvia data from analyst notes.

Analysts had suggested expanding the RSV vaccine to adults aged 50 to 59 at increased risk from the illness, an age group for which only GSK has FDA approval, could help cement its lead.

But the CDC held off on recommending the shots for that age group. The decision pushed GSK shares down 6 the following day.

The narrower recommendation probably evens the playing field a little bit more for GSK and Pfizer longer term, said Guggenheim Partners analyst Evan Wang….