Beyfortus Offers Significant Protective Effect Against RSV-positive Bronchitis Hospitalization

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal published a Brief Report today. It reported that Nirsevimab (Beyfortus™), a single-dose, monoclonal antibody against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), showed promising efficacy in reducing hospitalizations for lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV in healthy preterm and full-term infants.

This analysis was revealed on November 26, 2024, regarding nirsevimab immunization status: among infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis, the odds of hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis were 4.7 times higher for nonimmunized children.

Immunized infants were less likely to require oxygen supplementation (20.2% vs. 30.6%, P = 0.02) and had a 1-day shorter hospital stay.

And RSV bronchiolitis was less frequent and less severe in infants immunized with nirsevimab.

In conclusion, this large prospective multicentre study found a significant protective effect of nirsevimab on hospitalization for RSV-positive bronchiolitis. Significant healthcare cost savings were produced because RSV-positive bronchiolitis was less frequent and less severe in immunized infants, with a significantly reduced hospitalization length than in nonimmunized infants.

Beyfortus was approved by the European Union in November 2022 and by the U.S. FDA on July 17, 2023. As of November 2024, there is an ample supply of Beyfortus in the U.S.