Monoclonal antibody nirsevimab is effective in preventing respiratory syncytial virus infection in term and late preterm infants
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
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Posted on October 31st, 2022
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Nirsevimab is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind to the fusion protein on the surface of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Thus, it had been approved for preventing RSV infection in preterm infants. A study sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies MedImmune/AstraZeneca and Sanofi had reported on the effectiveness of nirsevimab at preventing RSV infection in term and late preterm infants.
The randomized controlled trial included 1,490 infants that was born at a gestational age of at least 35 weeks. They receive either an injection of placebo or nirsevimab at a dose of 50 mg if the child is less than 5 kg or at a dose of 100 mg if they weighed ≥ 5 kg. The treatment/placebo was administered before the start of the RSV season. The study reported that 1.2% of those in the nirsevimab group developed lower respiratory infection by RSV; this is significantly lower than the prevalence in patients in the placebo group (6%). However, there is no difference in the rate of hospitalization between the two groups. Thus, nirsevimab is deemed effective at preventing respiratory syncytial virus infection. In terms of safety, the frequency of adverse event is similar between the two groups, and fever is the most common side effect of the anti-RSV monoclonal antibody
The randomized controlled trial included 1,490 infants that was born at a gestational age of at least 35 weeks. They receive either an injection of placebo or nirsevimab at a dose of 50 mg if the child is less than 5 kg or at a dose of 100 mg if they weighed ≥ 5 kg. The treatment/placebo was administered before the start of the RSV season. The study reported that 1.2% of those in the nirsevimab group developed lower respiratory infection by RSV; this is significantly lower than the prevalence in patients in the placebo group (6%). However, there is no difference in the rate of hospitalization between the two groups. Thus, nirsevimab is deemed effective at preventing respiratory syncytial virus infection. In terms of safety, the frequency of adverse event is similar between the two groups, and fever is the most common side effect of the anti-RSV monoclonal antibody