Effectiveness of Palivizumab Therapy for RSV

Abstract

Pulmonology| April 01 2001 Effectiveness of Palivizumab Therapy for RSV AAP Grand Rounds (2001) 5 (4): 37–38. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.5-4-37-a Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Effectiveness of Palivizumab Therapy for RSV. AAP Grand Rounds April 2001; 5 (4): 37–38. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.5-4-37-a Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All PublicationsAll JournalsAAP Grand RoundsPediatricsHospital PediatricsPediatrics In ReviewNeoReviewsAAP NewsAll AAP Sites Search Advanced Search Topics: palivizumab Source: Sorrentino M, Powers T, The Palivizumab Outcomes Study Group. Effectiveness of palivizumab: evaluation of outcomes from the 1998 to 1999 respiratory syncytial virus season. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2000;19:1068–1071. This report from the Palivizumab Outcomes Study Group (POSG) provides an update on the outcome of humanized mouse monoclonal antibody (palivizumab) therapy for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the first year of general use following the issuance of recommendations based on the IMpact-RSV trial.1,2 The authors did a retrospective chart review of all 1839 children who received palivizumab at 9 US centers during the 1998 to 1999 RSV season when this drug was first available for use outside a clinical trial. Criteria for use were not reported and, presumably, varied among centers. Patients were grouped according to gestational ages by whether or not they had chronic lung disease (CLD). Gestational age was not available for 209 (11.4%) patients. Patients receiving at least 1 dose were included in the study with the mean number of doses reported as 3.7 (86% of projected doses administered). For the 1839 patients who received palivizumab prophylaxis the rate of RSV hospitalization was 2.3%; for those <28 wks, 3.4%; 28 to 31 wks, 2.0%; 32 to 35 wks, 1.4%; >35 wks, 0%, and 4% for CLD patients. The mean length of stay for RSV hospitalization for these patients was 8.7 days (±13.9 days). The POSG conclude that their study had a lower hospitalization rate than the IMpact-RSV trial in which hospitalizations were reduced by 55%, 39% and 80% for all children, CLD and prematurity (defined as <36 weeks gestational age) respectively, but note that because the current POSG study did not include a control group a direct comparison could not be made. Research grant support from the manufacturer of palivizumab (MedImmune) was acknowledged. This article was sent by MedImmune, Inc to some pediatricians. Lack of a control group in this study and no report of the incidence of RSV in the general population during the study season do not allow for a conclusion regarding the effectiveness of this agent. Editorials relating to the original IMpact-RSV study pointed out the differences in reporting a relative risk reduction of 55% versus an absolute risk reduction of 5.8%.3 When reviewing alternative methods of reporting the same results, relative risk reduction can be misleading, especially if there is a small effect reported in a sample population. A more representative value is the absolute risk reduction, from which the number of patients that need to be treated (NNT) to have 1 patient benefit from treatment can be determined [NNT =1/(risk in the control group minus risk in the treatment group)]. In the case of the IMpact-RSV study, 17 patients need to be treated to prevent 1 hospital admission, while no differences in morbidity or mortality were reported. At $1200 per vial given monthly over the course of the 5-month RSV season, a cost analysis noted that the expense of prophylaxis was about... You do not currently have access to this content.