(Reuters) -GSK on Wednesday said its vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which recently won EU approval, showed strong long-term protection in older adults in a late-stage trial.

The British drugmaker said a 'Phase III' trial showed vaccine efficacy against RSV-lower respiratory tract disease and severe disease over two full RSV seasons, including in participants with underlying medical conditions.

GSK's shot, called Arexvy is designed to protect people aged 60 and over from RSV, which typically causes cold-like symptoms, but is a leading cause of pneumonia in toddlers and the elderly.

European regulators approved the shot earlier this month for the disease which causes thousands of hospitalisations and deaths annually.

(Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)