Latest news with #Nirsevimab
Medscape
2 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Nirsevimab Cuts Bronchiolitis Cases in Young Infants
Nirsevimab implementation in Catalonia, Spain, was associated with a 44% reduction in emergency department (ED) visits for bronchiolitis in infants younger than 6 months and a 48% reduction in hospital admissions compared with previous seasons. The multinational study analyzed 1,574,392 ED visits and 255,689 hospital admissions across Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a multinational retrospective analysis of ED visits and admissions at 68 hospitals in Catalonia (Spain), one hospital in Rome (Italy), and four hospitals in the United Kingdom from May 1, 2018, to April 30, 2024. Analysis included data for all diagnoses, respiratory diagnoses excluding bronchiolitis, and bronchiolitis diagnoses for different age groups (< 6 months, 6-11 months, and 12-23 months). A generalized linear model in Poisson regression was utilized to obtain risk ratio and 95% CI of bronchiolitis in the 2023-2024 season compared with a mean of previous seasons, excluding 2020-2021 (as a COVID year). TAKEAWAY: In Catalonia, the risk ratio was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.48-0.55) for bronchiolitis-related hospital admissions in infants aged less than 6 months in the 2023-2024 season compared with previous years. ED visits for bronchiolitis in Catalonia showed a risk ratio of 0.56 (95% CI, 0.54-0.58) for infants younger than 6 months and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.97) for infants aged 6-11 months. No significant reduction in risk ratio for ED visits or admissions was observed in the 2023-2024 season at other study sites in the United Kingdom and Italy. According to the authors, the effect of nirsevimab was less clear in older infants aged 6-11 and 12-23 months. IN PRACTICE: 'Nirsevimab had a clear impact in reducing attendances and admissions for infants with bronchiolitis aged < 6 months in Catalonia. However, the impact on older infants was less clear, making it unrealistic to imagine a substantial change in the epidemiology of infants accessing EDs or inpatient wards, at least in the near future,' wrote the authors of the study. SOURCE: The study was led by Aida Perramon-Malavez, Computational Biology and Complex Systems Group, Department of Physics, Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. It was published online in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe . LIMITATIONS: As a retrospective analysis, the study faced several limitations. The proportion of visits and admissions coded as bronchiolitis varied widely across countries, potentially due to coding differences or health system factors rather than true epidemiological differences. The researchers could not directly match all diagnoses in International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, to Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms codes. Limited virology testing of ED visits prevented determination of the relative contribution of respiratory syncytial virus toward the disease burden in the studied seasons. DISCLOSURES: Damian Roland disclosed receiving grants from Wellcome Trust, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Consortium in Europe, Imperial College London, and National Institute for Health Research. Antoni Soriano-Arandes reported receiving consulting fees and honoraria for lectures from Sanofi, MSD, and Pfizer, along with grants from La Marató de TV3. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article.
Medscape
13-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
RSV Vaccination Associated With Fewer Infant Hospitalizations
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–associated hospitalization rates among infants in the United States were significantly lower in the first year when prevention products were widely available, based on surveillance network data from the 2024-2025 season. Both a maternal vaccine for RSV and a long-acting monoclonal antibody for infants and young children aged 0-19 months (nirsevimab) were in use during the 2024-2025 RSV season, wrote Monica Patton, MD, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and colleagues. In a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the researchers reviewed data from the RSV-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RSV-NET) and New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN). They compared RSV-associated hospitalizations in children aged 5 years or younger during the first year of availability of RSV prevention products in 2024-2025 with RSV-associated hospitalizations for a pooled period of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 11,681 RSV-associated hospitalizations from 2018 to 2020 and 6708 from 2024 to 2025. The median age of the children with RSV-associated hospitalizations was significantly older in the later time period than in the early period for both networks (14.7 months vs 6.7 months in RSV-NET and 12.7 months vs 6.3 months in NVSN). RSV-associated hospitalization rates among infants aged 0-7 months were reduced by 43% in RSV-NET and 28% in the NVSN for the 2024-2025 season vs the pre-pandemic period. RSV-associated hospitalizations for children aged 8-19 months or 20-59 months were not significantly different between the two time periods, and slightly higher in the 2024-2025 period. Notably, the largest estimated reductions in both networks were among infants aged 0-2 months (52% and 45% for RSV-NET and NVSN, respectively). The largest reduction in RSV-association hospitalizations overall occurred during the RSV peak months of December-February. 'Higher RSV-associated hospitalization rates during 2024-25 compared with 2018-20 among children in older age groups, who were largely ineligible for RSV prevention products, suggest a more severe 2024-25 season overall and indicate that observed reductions in hospitalization rates among younger infants might be underestimated,' the researchers wrote in their discussion. The findings were limited by several factors including the lack of individual-level data to assess causality, concerns that RSV-NET and NVSN data might not be nationally representative, and the use of interim data that may not reflect the entire RSV season, the researchers noted. However, the results support the current recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)'s recommendations for RSV prevention products in the form of maternal vaccination or nirsevimab for infants, they said. Early Data Support Effectiveness 'RSV prevention products such as maternal RSV vaccine and nirsevimab are relatively new tools in the protection against RSV disease,' said Shirin A. Mazumder, MD, an infectious diseases specialist in Memphis, Tennessee, in an interview. 'Collecting data from the most recent RSV season is important to gauge the effectiveness of the RSV prevention products and the impact of these products on severe RSV infection resulting in hospitalization among infants and young children,' said Mazumder, who was not involved in the study. The findings of the interim evaluation were not surprising and confirmed the effectiveness of maternal RSV vaccine and use of nirsevimab in infants shown in previous studies, Mazumder told Medscape Medical News . Barriers and Next Steps 'A single dose of the maternal RSV vaccine administered in the last trimester of pregnancy is effective in producing antibodies that are passed along to the fetus and provides protection from RSV during the first 6 months of a newborn's life; however, timing is a potential barrier,' Mazumder told Medscape Medical News . 'There is a limited window for mothers to receive the vaccine as it can only be given during weeks 32-36 of pregnancy and between the months of September through January,' she said. Issues of access related to product availability and insurance coverage are evolving barriers for some patients as well, said Mazumder. 'Prenatal counseling and education, along with continued support from ACIP can help to overcome some of the existing barriers,' she said. Research on data from more geographic areas and among different populations may help to provide a more comprehensive picture of the impact of RSV prevention products, Mazumder added.
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Study finds lab-created antibody effective in preventing severe respiratory illness in infants
A monoclonal antibody -- a protein created in a lab which mimics the work of a natural antibody -- could be highly effective in preventing severe RSV-- Respiratory syncytial virus, a respiratory infection and major cause of serious illness in infants, according to a research. Study findings Findings of the study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal, show that injecting infants with the antibody 'nirsevimab' reduces risk of RSV-related hospitalisations by 83 per cent and intensive care admissions by 81 per cent. Infant immunisation programmes could, therefore, help address the health and economic burden due to RSV in the high-risk period following birth, a team of researchers from Canada and the US said. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is one of the leading causes of serious respiratory ill-health in the early years of one's life, and is usually prevalent during early winter months. Globally, the condition is estimated to cause 36 lakh hospitalisations a year among children aged under five, according to the World Health Organization. Nirsevimab was approved in 2023 by regulatory agencies, including the US' Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, after the lab-created antibody was found to be safe and effective in clinical trials. Effectiveness of nirsevimab Through national programmes, infants in high-income countries, such as in the US and European Union, have been injected with nirsevimab. The researchers said that efficacy of nirsevimab seen in the controlled settings of a clinical trial may not fully reflect how the lab-created antibody performs in real-world settings. Real-world effectiveness studies are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of nirsevimab across diverse infant populations and clinical settings, the team added. For this study, the researchers analysed 27 previously published studies, which were conducted during the RSV seasons of 2023-2024 across five countries -- France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and the US. The team mainly focussed on infants aged under 12 months. "Nirsevimab is highly effective in preventing RSV-related outcomes in infants, with a pooled real-world effectiveness of 83 per cent against hospitalisation, 81 per cent against ICU admission, and 75 per cent against LRTI (lower respiratory tract infections)," the authors wrote. The lab-created antibody was also found to be more effective among infants aged over three months, compared to those aged under three months. Monoclonal is an antibody, not a vaccine The researchers noted that nirsevimab is not a vaccine, despite being delivered as an injection. A monoclonal antibody is created in a lab to mimic how an antibody works, whereas a vaccine empowers the body's immune system to produce an immune response, which involves creating antibodies, they said. The findings indicate that the benefits of nirsevimab seen in clinical trials could be translated into real-world settings, potentially reducing the burden of RSV disease among infants and use of healthcare resources, the authors said.
Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Study finds lab-created antibody effective in preventing severe respiratory illness in infants
A monoclonal antibody — a protein created in a lab which mimics the work of a natural antibody — could be highly effective in preventing severe RSV, a respiratory infection and major cause of serious illness in infants, according to a research. Findings of the study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal, show that injecting infants with the antibody 'nirsevimab' reduces risk of RSV-related hospitalisations by 83 per cent and intensive care admissions by 81 per cent. Infant immunisation programmes could, therefore, help address the health and economic burden due to RSV in the high-risk period following birth, a team of researchers from Canada and the US said. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is one of the leading causes of serious respiratory ill-health in the early years of one's life, and is usually prevalent during early winter months. Globally, the condition is estimated to cause 36 lakh hospitalisations a year among children aged under five, according to the World Health Organization. Nirsevimab was approved in 2023 by regulatory agencies, including the US' Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, after the lab-created antibody was found to be safe and effective in clinical trials. Through national programmes, infants in high-income countries, such as in the US and European Union, have been injected with nirsevimab. The researchers said that efficacy of nirsevimab seen in the controlled settings of a clinical trial may not fully reflect how the lab-created antibody performs in real-world settings. Real-world effectiveness studies are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of nirsevimab across diverse infant populations and clinical settings, the team added. For this study, the researchers analysed 27 previously published studies, which were conducted during the RSV seasons of 2023-2024 across five countries — France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and the US. The team mainly focussed on infants aged under 12 months. Findings of the study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal, show that injecting infants with the antibody 'nirsevimab' reduces risk of RSV-related hospitalisations (representative) (Photo: Freepik) 'Nirsevimab is highly effective in preventing RSV-related outcomes in infants, with a pooled real-world effectiveness of 83 per cent against hospitalisation, 81 per cent against ICU admission, and 75 per cent against LRTI (lower respiratory tract infections),' the authors wrote. The lab-created antibody was also found to be more effective among infants aged over three months, compared to those aged under three months. The researchers noted that nirsevimab is not a vaccine, despite being delivered as an injection. A monoclonal antibody is created in a lab to mimic how an antibody works, whereas a vaccine empowers the body's immune system to produce an immune response, which involves creating antibodies, they said. The findings indicate that the benefits of nirsevimab seen in clinical trials could be translated into real-world settings, potentially reducing the burden of RSV disease among infants and use of healthcare resources, the authors said.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Study finds lab-created antibody effective in preventing severe respiratory illness in infants
New Delhi: A monoclonal antibody -- a protein created in a lab which mimics the work of a natural antibody -- could be highly effective in preventing severe RSV, a respiratory infection and major cause of serious illness in infants, according to a research. Findings of the study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal, show that injecting infants with the antibody ' nirsevimab ' reduces risk of RSV-related hospitalisations by 83 per cent and intensive care admissions by 81 per cent. Infant immunisation programmes could, therefore, help address the health and economic burden due to RSV in the high-risk period following birth, a team of researchers from Canada and the US said. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is one of the leading causes of serious respiratory ill-health in the early years of one's life, and is usually prevalent during early winter months. Globally, the condition is estimated to cause 36 lakh hospitalisations a year among children aged under five, according to the World Health Organization . Nirsevimab was approved in 2023 by regulatory agencies, including the US' Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, after the lab-created antibody was found to be safe and effective in clinical trials. Through national programmes, infants in high-income countries, such as in the US and European Union, have been injected with nirsevimab. The researchers said that efficacy of nirsevimab seen in the controlled settings of a clinical trial may not fully reflect how the lab-created antibody performs in real-world settings. Real-world effectiveness studies are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of nirsevimab across diverse infant populations and clinical settings, the team added. For this study, the researchers analysed 27 previously published studies, which were conducted during the RSV seasons of 2023-2024 across five countries -- France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and the US. The team mainly focussed on infants aged under 12 months. "Nirsevimab is highly effective in preventing RSV-related outcomes in infants, with a pooled real-world effectiveness of 83 per cent against hospitalisation, 81 per cent against ICU admission, and 75 per cent against LRTI ( lower respiratory tract infections )," the authors wrote. The lab-created antibody was also found to be more effective among infants aged over three months, compared to those aged under three months. The researchers noted that nirsevimab is not a vaccine, despite being delivered as an injection. A monoclonal antibody is created in a lab to mimic how an antibody works, whereas a vaccine empowers the body's immune system to produce an immune response, which involves creating antibodies, they said. The findings indicate that the benefits of nirsevimab seen in clinical trials could be translated into real-world settings, potentially reducing the burden of RSV disease among infants and use of healthcare resources, the authors said.
