Nearly 80% efficiency
This treatment is ambitious because it offers, with a single injection, to protect infants thus “vaccinated” throughout the viral season. With an efficiency of 79.5% in avoiding hospitalization, it would clearly improve prevention against infection by the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). This is responsible for the hospitalization for bronchiolitis of 35,000 children under the age of one each year in France.
Sanofi and AstraZeneca’s treatment isn’t the only one on the starting line. The journal The Lancet has identified 33 “vaccine” candidates in the world, including 9 already in phase three studies. Among them, GSK and Pfizer are each working on their own vaccine candidate for the elderly and immunocompromised, also vulnerable to RSV.
Note: Until now, the only preventive treatment against bronchiolitis is a monoclonal antibody* indicated for premature babies. Very expensive, it requires five injections during the epidemic season and offers only relative effectiveness.
*Synagis (AstraZeneca)
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