title: Palivizumab: where to from here?
abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory tract infections. In severely immunosuppressed patients RSV can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The only FDA-approved drug for RSV is aerosolized ribavirin. Given the high morbidity and mortality in high-risk populations and inconsistent results with aerosolized ribavirin, new strategies for prevention and treatment of RSV are being sought. Palivizumab is an RSV-specific monoclonal antibody. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study showed significant reduction in hospitalization rates among children at high risk of RSV infection who had been given prophylactic palivizumab; these findings led to palivizumab's approval by the FDA in June 1998. Palivizumab also has a role in prevention of severe respiratory tract infections in high-risk infants. In immunocompromised patients, palivizumab has an excellent safety profile and may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of RSV infections; however, clinical trials are needed to determine its effectiveness. In this article, we review the role of palivizumab in prevention and treatment of RSV infections in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Georgiana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Georgescu
authors.forename: Roy F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Chemaly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D000069455:Palivizumab; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000069455:Palivizumab