2023-09-10 07:00:00
Beyfortus, developed by Sanofi laboratories, will be available in hospitals and towns from September 15. It should allow a reduction of around 70% in infections.
Section written by Caroline Tourbe The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), targeted by this treatment, is responsible for 80% of cases of bronchiolitis. Published on 09/10/2023 at 7:00 a.m.
Appointment is made for September 15
The new preventive treatment against bronchiolitis, Beyfortus (nirzevimab) from Sanofi laboratories, was eagerly awaited by many pediatricians and general practitioners, while the next epidemic should begin in October. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), targeted by this treatment, is responsible for 80% of cases of bronchiolitis. 2 to 5% of infants are hospitalized each year. Last season, Public Health France counted nearly 75,000 visits to the emergency room and more than 26,000 hospitalizations of patients under 2 years old.
It’s not a vaccine
It’s not about pushing babies to build their own defenses against the virus, like a vaccine would. “The idea is to directly deliver protection against RSV, in the form of a small dose of monoclonal antibodies,” indicates Professor Ralph Epaud, pediatrician at the Créteil intercommunal hospital center. These molecules target the virus and destroy it. “A single injection, at the doctor’s or maternity ward, protects almost immediately and for five to six months. This is a big advantage,” explains Professor Marine Butin, from the neonatal intensive care unit of the Mother-Child Hospital (HCL) in Bron, in the Rhône.
8 out of 10 hospitalizations would be avoided
In clinical trials, the drug led to an approximately 70% reduction in RSV infections requiring medical treatment. It led to an approximately 80% reduction in hospitalizations. The expected effects are significant, both for families and for the saturation of the hospital system, which is critical every winter. “It is still necessary that many parents accept the injection for their babies. This is the challenge of the coming weeks,” underlines Olivier Romain, pediatrician in Paris.
All children born from February 6, 2023 are affected
This precise date corresponds to the official end of the last epidemic season. For all babies born after February 6, the next bronchiolitis outbreak will be the first. They will therefore be able to receive the injection in their doctor’s office, if possible before the epidemic, or in the maternity ward as soon as they are born. Dr Christina Tischer, from the European Foundation for Newborn Care, points out that “79% of children hospitalized for RSV were previously healthy and born at term.” As Professor Ralph Epaud points out, “It is children under 6 weeks of age who are most at risk of suffering from a serious form. When they arrive at the emergency room, their hospitalization is almost systematic because the deterioration, difficult to detect in them, can occur very quickly.” On the Infovac site, supported in particular by the French Pediatric Society, experts write that“a hierarchy of priorities” can be considered: protecting premature and vulnerable infants; then all the children born during the next epidemic; followed by children who will be less than 6 months old when the epidemic begins; and finally, all infants born after February 2023.
Adverse effects are classic
The effects (pain at the injection site, fever) noted in clinical trials are generally of mild or moderate intensity and of short duration. “The possible emergence of RSV resistant to nirsevimab is also a key point that will need to be monitored,” underlines Professor Jean-Daniel Lelièvre, from the infectious diseases department of Henri-Mondor hospital (AP-HP). For this first year, treatment will be available in hospital and in town, with 100% coverage, without upfront costs for parents§
2 to 5%
infants under one year old are hospitalized every winter in France because of bronchiolitis.
ALINE MORCILLO/Hans Lucas via AFP
#finally #preventative #treatment #babies