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EClinicalMedicine Dec 2023Mucosal administration of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against respiratory pathogens is a promising alternative for systemic administration because lower doses are...
BACKGROUND
Mucosal administration of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against respiratory pathogens is a promising alternative for systemic administration because lower doses are required for protection. Clinical development of mucosal mAbs is a highly active field yet clinical proof-of-concept is lacking.
METHODS
In this investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, we evaluated intranasal palivizumab for the prevention of RSV infection in preterm infants (Dutch Trial Register NTR7378 and NTR7403). We randomized infants 1:1 to receive intranasal palivizumab (1 mg/mL) or placebo once daily during the RSV season. Any RSV infection was the primary outcome and RSV hospitalization was the key secondary outcome. The primary outcome was analyzed with a mixed effect logistic regression on the modified intention-to-treat population.
FINDINGS
We recruited 268 infants between Jan 14, 2019 and Jan 28, 2021, after which the trial was stopped for futility following the planned interim analysis. Adverse events were similar in both groups (22/134 (16.4%) palivizumab arm versus 26/134 (19.4%) placebo arm). There were 6 dropouts and 168 infants were excluded from the efficacy analyses due to absent RSV circulation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Any RSV infection was similar in infants in both groups (18/47 (38.3%) palivizumab arm versus 11/47 (23.4%) placebo arm; aOR 2.2, 95% CI 0.7-6.5).
INTERPRETATION
Daily intranasal palivizumab did not prevent RSV infection in late preterm infants. Our findings have important implications for the clinical development of mucosal mAbs, namely the necessity of timely interim analyses and further research to understand mucosal antibody half-life.
FUNDING
Funded by the Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands.
PubMed: 38192587
DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102324 -
American Journal of Perinatology Oct 2023In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) changed its policy on the use of respiratory syncytial virus immunoprophylaxis (RSV-IP) so that RSV-IP was no longer... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVE
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) changed its policy on the use of respiratory syncytial virus immunoprophylaxis (RSV-IP) so that RSV-IP was no longer recommended for use among infants without other medical conditions born >29 weeks of gestational age (wGA). This study examines 10-year trends in RSV-IP and RSV hospitalizations among term infants and preterm infants born at 29 to 34 wGA, including the 5 RSV seasons before and 5 RSV seasons after the AAP guidance change.
STUDY DESIGN
A retrospective observational cohort study of a convenience sample of infants less than 6 months of age during RSV season (November-March) born between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2019, who were born at 29 to 34 wGA (preterm) or >37 wGA (term) in the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid databases. We excluded infants with medical conditions that would independently qualify them for RSV-IP. We identified RSV-IP utilization along with RSV and all-cause bronchiolitis hospitalizations during each RSV season. A difference-in-difference model was used to determine if there was a significant change in the relative rate of RSV hospitalizations following the 2014 policy change.
RESULTS
There were 53,535 commercially insured and 85,099 Medicaid-insured qualifying preterm infants and 1,111,670 commercially insured and 1,492,943 Medicaid-insured qualifying term infants. Following the 2014 policy change, RSV-IP utilization decreased for all infants, while hospitalization rates tended to increase for preterm infants. Rate ratios comparing preterm to term infants also increased. The relative rate for RSV hospitalization for infants born at 29 to 34 wGA increased significantly for both commercially and Medicaid-insured infants (1.95, 95% CI: 1.67-2.27, <0.001; 1.70, 95% CI: 1.55-1.86, <0.001, respectively). Findings were similar for all-cause bronchiolitis hospitalizations.
CONCLUSION
We found that the previously identified increase in RSV hospitalization rates among infants born at 29 to 34 wGA persisted for at least 5 years following the policy change.
KEY POINTS
· Immunoprophylaxis rates decreased after the 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines update.. · Rate of RSV hospitalization increased among preterm infants after the 2014 AAP guidelines update.. · Increase in RSV hospitalization persisted for at least 5 years after AAP guidelines update..
Topics: Infant; Female; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Child; United States; Infant, Premature; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Antiviral Agents; Retrospective Studies; Hospitalization; Gestational Age; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Bronchiolitis; Palivizumab
PubMed: 34704241
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1736581 -
Vaccines Dec 2023Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) poses a severe threat to infants, particularly preterm infants. Palivizumab, the standard preventive prophylaxis, is primarily utilized...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) poses a severe threat to infants, particularly preterm infants. Palivizumab, the standard preventive prophylaxis, is primarily utilized in high-risk newborns due to its cost. This study assessed palivizumab's effectiveness in preventing RSV infections in predominantly very preterm infants during their first year of life. Serum samples from a prospective multicentre cohort study in the Netherlands were analyzed to assess RSV infection rates by measuring IgG levels against three RSV proteins: nucleoprotein, pre-fusion, and post-fusion protein. Infants were stratified based on gestational age (GA), distinguishing very preterm (≤32 weeks GA) from moderate/late preterm (>32 to ≤36 weeks GA). In very preterm infants, palivizumab prophylaxis significantly reduced infection rates (18.9% vs. 48.3% in the prophylaxis vs. non-prophylaxis group. Accounting for GA, sex, birth season, and birth weight, the prophylaxis group showed significantly lower infection odds. In infants with >32 to ≤36 weeks GA, the non-prophylaxis group (55.4%) showed infection rates similar to the non-prophylaxis ≤32-week GA group, despite higher maternal antibody levels in the moderate/late preterm infants. In conclusion, palivizumab prophylaxis significantly reduces RSV infection rates in very premature infants. Future research should explore clinical implications and reasons for non-compliance, and compare palivizumab with emerging prophylactics like nirsevimab aiming to optimize RSV prophylaxis and improve preterm infant outcomes.
PubMed: 38140212
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121807 -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Mar 2024Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in infants, the immunocompromised, and the elderly. RSV infects the airway epithelium via...
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in infants, the immunocompromised, and the elderly. RSV infects the airway epithelium via the apical membrane and almost exclusively sheds progeny virions back into the airway mucus (AM), making RSV difficult to target by systemically administered therapies. An inhalable "muco-trapping" variant of motavizumab (Mota-MT), a potent neutralizing mAb against RSV F is engineered. Mota-MT traps RSV in AM via polyvalent Fc-mucin bonds, reducing the fraction of fast-moving RSV particles in both fresh pediatric and adult AM by ≈20-30-fold in a Fc-glycan dependent manner, and facilitates clearance from the airways of mice within minutes. Intranasal dosing of Mota-MT eliminated viral load in cotton rats within 2 days. Daily nebulized delivery of Mota-MT to RSV-infected neonatal lambs, beginning 3 days after infection when viral load is at its maximum, led to a 10 000-fold and 100 000-fold reduction in viral load in bronchoalveolar lavage and lung tissues relative to placebo control, respectively. Mota-MT-treated lambs exhibited reduced bronchiolitis, neutrophil infiltration, and airway remodeling than lambs receiving placebo or intramuscular palivizumab. The findings underscore inhaled delivery of muco-trapping mAbs as a promising strategy for the treatment of RSV and other acute respiratory infections.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Child; Animals; Sheep; Mice; Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Palivizumab; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; Lung
PubMed: 38225749
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306729 -
Andes Pediatrica : Revista Chilena de... Dec 2023Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Recently, great advances have been made in the development of new... (Review)
Review
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Recently, great advances have been made in the development of new monoclonal antibodies and vaccines thanks to the recognition of the structural conformation of virus proteins. The objective of this study was to review the advances related to the prevention of RSV infection in the first 6 months of life. Advances in structural biology have shown that the RSV fusion protein (F-Protein) in its prefusion state (Pre-F) is an excellent antigen for developing monoclonal antibodies and vaccines to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. A new single-dose monoclonal antibody, Nirsevimab, has greater neutralizing power than currently available Palivizumab, and prolonged protection for 5 to 6 months. Nirsevimab has demonstrated an efficacy of 76.8% (95% CI, 49.4 to 89.4) in preventing lower respiratory infection 150 days after vaccination, decreasing the risk of ICU admission by 90.1% (95% CI: 16.4-98.8). Clesrovimab is another single-dose monoclonal antibody that has also shown promising results in phase 1b-2a trials. More recently, a bivalent vaccine against RSV A and B (Bivalent Prefusion F) has also been developed by replicating the F-protein stabilized in its Pre-F state as an antigen, using genetic engineering. This antigen, when administered to pregnant women between 24-36 weeks of gestation, induces high levels of antibodies in the mother with high transplacental transfer to the fetus. This vaccine has demonstrated an efficacy of 81.8% (95% CI: 40.6-96.3) at 90 days and 69.4% (95% CI: 44.3-84.1) at 180 days to prevent severe RSV disease (primary endpoint) without safety events detected so far. Nirsevimab and the Pre-F vaccine for pregnant women confer effective protection through passive immunity against RSV that lasts for the first 5 to 6 months of life and have already been approved for use in Europe by the EMA and in Canada and the United States by the FDA.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Viral; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Infant
PubMed: 38329302
DOI: 10.32641/andespediatr.v94i6.4861 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023Detection of community respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections informs the timing of immunoprophylaxis programs and hospital preparedness for surging pediatric...
INTRODUCTION
Detection of community respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections informs the timing of immunoprophylaxis programs and hospital preparedness for surging pediatric volumes. In many jurisdictions, this relies upon RSV clinical test positivity and hospitalization (RSVH) trends, which are lagging indicators. Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) may be a novel strategy to accurately identify the start of the RSV season and guide immunoprophylaxis administration and hospital preparedness.
METHODS
We compared citywide wastewater samples and pediatric RSVH in Ottawa and Hamilton between August 1, 2022, and March 5, 2023. 24-h composite wastewater samples were collected daily and 5 days a week at the wastewater treatment facilities in Ottawa and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, respectively. RSV WBS samples were analyzed in real-time for RSV by RT-qPCR.
RESULTS
RSV WBS measurements in both Ottawa and Hamilton showed a lead time of 12 days when comparing the WBS data set to pediatric RSVH data set (Spearman's ρ = 0.90). WBS identify early RSV community transmission and declared the start of the RSV season 36 and 12 days in advance of the provincial RSV season start (October 31) for the city of Ottawa and Hamilton, respectively. The differing RSV start dates in the two cities is likely associated with geographical and regional variation in the incidence of RSV between the cities.
DISCUSSION
Quantifying RSV in municipal wastewater forecasted a 12-day lead time of the pediatric RSVH surge and an earlier season start date compared to the provincial start date. These findings suggest an important role for RSV WBS to inform regional health system preparedness, reduce RSV burden, and understand variations in community-related illness as novel RSV vaccines and monoclonal antibodies become available.
Topics: Humans; Child; Palivizumab; Antiviral Agents; Ontario; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring; Seasons; Cities; Wastewater; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
PubMed: 37829087
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1261165 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Nov 2023Infants with respiratory-syncytial virus bronchiolitis hospitalization are more likely to develop wheezing and subsequent asthma. Reportedly, palivizumab prophylaxis...
BACKGROUND
Infants with respiratory-syncytial virus bronchiolitis hospitalization are more likely to develop wheezing and subsequent asthma. Reportedly, palivizumab prophylaxis effectively prevents respiratory-syncytial virus hospitalization in high-risk children-such as premature infants or infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
OBJECTIVE
We sought to explore the effect of respiratory-syncytial virus immunoprophylaxis on the risk of asthma development in premature infants with BPD in subtropical areas.
METHODS
This case-control study included preterm children with BPD born at Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, from 1999 to 2015. Overall, medical records of 616 eligible participants were retrospectively collected from their birth to the time they attained an age of 5 to 20 years. The primary outcome was onset of active asthma.
RESULTS
Overall, 576 consecutive cases met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 306 (53.2%) patients had palivizumab exposure and 191 (33.2%) were diagnosed with asthma. Patients with history of respiratory-syncytial virus bronchiolitis hospitalization had a higher risk of developing asthma in the future (adjusted odds ratio, 3.77; 95% CI, 2.30-6.20, < .001; hazard ratio, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.81-3.62, < .001). Palivizumab prophylaxis reduced future asthma development through the inhibition of respiratory-syncytial virus bronchiolitis hospitalization (coefficient, -0.021; 95% CI, -0.031 to -0.011, = .027). Asthmatic children who received palivizumab immunoprophylaxis had a lesser active asthma duration than those who did not ( = .005).
CONCLUSIONS
Children with BPD with hospitalization for respiratory-syncytial virus bronchiolitis had higher risk of developing asthma compared with those without respiratory-syncytial virus infection. Prophylactic palivizumab might reduce later asthma development through inhibition of respiratory-syncytial virus bronchiolitis hospitalization. For those already developing asthma, palivizumab could reduce active asthma duration.
PubMed: 37781666
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacig.2023.100161 -
The Journal of Infection May 2024This study investigated the prevalence, genetic diversity, and evolution of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in Barcelona from 2013 to 2023.
OBJECTIVES
This study investigated the prevalence, genetic diversity, and evolution of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in Barcelona from 2013 to 2023.
METHODS
Respiratory specimens from patients with RTI suspicion at Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron were collected from October 2013 to May 2023 for laboratory-confirmation of respiratory viruses. Next-generation sequencing was performed in randomly-selected samples with Illumina technology. Phylogenetic analyses of whole genome sequences were performed with BEAST v1.10.4. Signals of selection and evolutionary pressures were inferred by population dynamics and evolutionary analyses. Mutations in major surface proteins were genetic and structurally characterised, emphasizing those within antigenic epitopes.
RESULTS
Analyzing 139,625 samples, 5.3% were HRSV-positive (3008 HRSV-A, 3882 HRSV-B, 56 HRSV-A and -B, and 495 unsubtyped HRSV), with a higher prevalence observed in the paediatric population. Pandemic-related shifts in seasonal patterns returned to normal in 2022-2023. A total of 198 whole-genome sequences were obtained for HRSV-A (6.6% of the HRSV-A positive samples) belonging to GA2.3.5 lineage. For HRSV-B, 167 samples were sequenced (4.3% of the HRSV-B positive samples), belonging to GB5.0.2, GB5.0.4a and GB5.0.5a. HRSV-B exhibited a higher evolution rate. Post-SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, both subtypes showed increased evolutionary rates and decreased effective population size initially, followed by a sharp increase. Analyses indicated negative selective pressure on HRSV. Mutations in antigenic epitopes, including S276N and M274I in palivizumab-targeted site II, and I206M, Q209R, and S211N in nirsevimab-targeted site Ø, were identified.
DISCUSSION
Particularly in the context of the large-scale use in 2023-2024 season of nirsevimab, continuous epidemiological and genomic surveillance is crucial.
Topics: Humans; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Phylogeny; Child, Preschool; Child; Male; Infant; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Genome, Viral; Middle Aged; Spain; Adolescent; Adult; Genetic Variation; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Aged; Young Adult; Mutation; Whole Genome Sequencing; Antibodies, Viral; Prevalence; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Infant, Newborn
PubMed: 38588960
DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106153 -
Antibodies (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2023Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a significant cause of lower respiratory tract infections in the young, the elderly, and in immunodeficient patients. As such, the...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a significant cause of lower respiratory tract infections in the young, the elderly, and in immunodeficient patients. As such, the virus represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Development of monoclonal antibodies against RSV has resulted in a commercial prophylaxis, palivizumab (Synagis), and different antibodies that have improved our understanding of the structure of the viral proteins. In this study, a different immunization technique, subtractive immunization, was evaluated for its applicability to develop RSV-specific antibodies. One hybridoma which produced antibodies with the strongest staining of RSV infected cells, ATAC-0025, was selected for further characterization. This antibody belongs to the IgG1 class, has neutralizing capacity and recognizes the envelope F-protein. The antibody has a broad reactivity against a range of RSV reference strains and clinical isolates.
PubMed: 37873859
DOI: 10.3390/antib12040062 -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry Nov 2023Synthetic cytokine receptors can modulate cellular functions based on an artificial ligand to avoid off-target and/or unspecific effects. However, ligands that can...
Synthetic cytokine receptors can modulate cellular functions based on an artificial ligand to avoid off-target and/or unspecific effects. However, ligands that can modulate receptor activity so far have not been used clinically because of unknown toxicity and immunity against the ligands. Here, we developed a fully synthetic cytokine/cytokine receptor pair based on the antigen-binding domain of the respiratory syncytial virus-approved mAb Palivizumab as a synthetic cytokine and a set of anti-idiotype nanobodies (AIP) as synthetic receptors. Importantly, Palivizumab is neither cross-reactive with human proteins nor immunogenic. For the synthetic receptors, AIP were fused to the activating interleukin-6 cytokine receptor gp130 and the apoptosis-inducing receptor Fas. We found that the synthetic cytokine receptor AIPgp130 was efficiently activated by dimeric Palivizumab single-chain variable fragments. In summary, we created an in vitro nonimmunogenic full-synthetic cytokine/cytokine receptor pair as a proof of concept for future in vivo therapeutic strategies utilizing nonphysiological targets during immunotherapy.
Topics: Humans; Palivizumab; Receptors, Artificial; Receptors, Cytokine; Cytokines; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Ligands; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Antiviral Agents
PubMed: 37734558
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105270