Evansville doctor says RSV antibody therapy will have big impact

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Parents of newborns may soon have a sense of relief.

An advisory panel for the FDA just voted to recommend a monoclonal antibody therapy.

It’s called Nirsevimab.

The purpose is to prevent RSV in infants and some young toddlers.

If approved, babies could receive it as a single shot at birth or during their first season of RSV.

It can also be given as a larger dose in the second RSV season for children who are highly vulnerable.

Dr. Julie Wohrley with Deaconess Riley Clinic says the virus is very common, affecting thousands of children before age two.

“We see between 58,000 and 80,000 hospitalizations each year due to RSV disease in children less than five. You can kind of do the math and think about the impact. If it’s a 75 percent reduction in RSV disease that result in hospitalization, I think it’s a meaningful impact,” said Dr. Wohrley.

Dr. Wohrley says an advisory committee for the CDC is expected to meet next week.

That’s when they’ll discuss whether to recommend it.

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