Real-World Studies of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalizations among Moderate/Late Preterm Infants Exposed to Passive Immunoprophylaxis with Palivizumab

Abstract

This article aims to assess the real-world effectiveness of palivizumab immunoprophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated hospitalization (RSVH) rates in otherwise healthy moderate/late preterm infants and discuss the role of palivizumab in preventing acute and long-term outcomes. We identified studies in the PubMed and Embase databases that reported patient-level data on (1) exposure to palivizumab in preterm infants born between 29 and 35 weeks of gestational age (or subsets within this range) ≤ 2 years of chronological age, and (2) the outcome of RSVH. Six studies assessed RSVH in infants this gestational age who had been exposed or not to palivizumab and reported patient-level data. Exposure was associated with a reduction in RSVH rates that was comparable to the reduction seen in controlled clinical trials (weighed mean 4.0-fold reduction). RSV immunoprophylaxis in preterm infants within 29 to 35 weeks of gestational age is associated with a considerably lower burden of RSVH.Key Points