Immunoprophylaxis of respiratory syncytial virus: global experience.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infects nearly all children by age 2 years, and it causes considerable illness and death in certain high-risk pediatric populations. Historically, treatment for RSV has been symptomatic, and developing a safe and effective vaccine has been a challenge. Therefore, research efforts have turned to passive immunization as the best option to control RSV. Palivizumab, a genetically engineered humanized monoclonal antibody, has been shown to reduce RSV-related hospitalizations significantly, with few adverse effects. It was approved for use in high-risk children in the USA in 1998 and in Europe in 1999; it is now approved for use in more than 45 countries. The efficacy and safety of palivizumab continue to be supported by both clinical trial and outcomes data.
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases, The University of Colorado School of Medicine and The Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado, USA. eric.simoes@uchsc.edu
Eric A F
EA
Simoes
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069455:Palivizumab; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000628:therapy*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D000069455:Palivizumab