Monoclonal antibodies to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection

Examples

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Brand Name	Generic Name
Synagis	palivizumab

How It Works

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Palivizumab stops respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) from reproducing. This medicine contains antibodies that are made in a laboratory.

Why It Is Used

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Palivizumab is used to prevent RSV infection. It is primarily used for children who have a high risk of developing complications, such as those with chronic lung disease or heart problems. If your baby was born early or has health problems, talk to your doctor about the need to prevent RSV.

If palivizumab does not prevent a child from becoming infected with RSV, it may make the illness less severe. This reduces the child's chance of having complications, such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia.

How Well It Works

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Using palivizumab monthly during the RSV season lowers the chance of needing to go to the hospital (for RSV-related illnesses) by almost half, and it shortens the length of stay in the hospital by more than half.¹

Palivizumab does not decrease how often children get other illnesses, such as ear infections.

Side Effects

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Palivizumab may cause pain at the site where the medicine was given.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

What To Think About

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If your baby or child has a high risk of a serious RSV infection, talk to your doctor about whether your child needs palivizumab.

Palivizumab has several advantages:

• It can be injected into a muscle rather than into a vein (intravenously).
• It does not interfere with the regular immunization schedule.
• It has fewer side effects.

Palivizumab is given as an injection in a doctor's office. It is given every month during RSV season, usually the 5 to 6 months from late fall to early spring.

Preventive treatment with palivizumab should continue throughout the RSV season, regardless of whether a child gets RSV infection. Different strains of RSV can circulate within a community during the same year, so treatment may still offer protection from infection.

Complete the new medication information form (PDF) (What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.

References

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Citations

1. Horga MA, Moscona A (2006). Respiratory syncytial virus. In FD Burg et al., eds., Current Pediatric Therapy, 18th ed., pp. 793–797. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

Credits

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Author	Debby Golonka, MPH
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics
Specialist Medical Reviewer	W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease
Last Updated	July 16, 2008