Nirsevimab is designed to protect against RSV (Image: Getty)
A groundbreaking new treatment is set to save babies lives by protecting them against a deadly virus.
The one-off therapy, nirsevimab, is designed to protect again illness from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which can be deadly for infants.
RSV is one of a number of viruses that surge in winter along with influenza and recently .
The infection, which affects the lungs, leads to approximately 34,000 infant hospitalisations a year and up to 30 deaths.
The novel treatment consists of a single shot which is made of special proteins called antibodies that bind to the site at which the virus would attach to a cell; rendering it useless.
The drug has been rolled out in Ireland where it is being hailed as a game-changer after official figures showed a stunning 94 percent drop in RSV-related hospitalisations among babies under one year old.
Recent figures from the Irish Health Service Executive, which collated the figures in babies revealed that hospitalisations due to RSV fell from 413 cases in 2023 to just 24 cases in 2024. Cases requiring intensive care also plummeted by 92 percent, from 64 to just five, over the same period.
The figures are borne out by earlier trial data which involved over 8,000 infants from the UK, France and Germany. The HARMONIE trial – which ran from August 8, 2022 to February 28 2023 – found nirsevimab reduced RSV-related hospitalisations by 83 percent compared to standard care, with just 11 hospital admissions among treated infants versus 60 in the control group. This research aligns with real world data from Spain.
34,000 babies hospitalised with RSV a year, 30 die (Image: Getty)
Unlike traditional vaccines that stimulate the body’s own immune system to produce antibodies, nirsevimab directly doses the babies with long-acting antibodies that shield them from RSV. This “passive immunity” offers immediate protection for up to six months, covering the critical winter RSV season.
Uptake of the nirsevimab program so far in Ireland has been high, with 83 percent of eligible infants receiving the treatment.
These results have spurred healthcare providers in several European countries, including Spain, Luxembourg, and Germany, to integrate nirsevimab into their national immunisation programmes.
While Ireland and other European countries are using nirsevimab, the UK has opted for a maternal immunisation approach, prioritising vaccines given during pregnancy.
However, the latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows no significant reduction in RSV hospitalisations among children under five this winter compared to previous years. In fact, weekly hospital admissions peaked slightly higher in the 2024/25 season than in the previous RSV season.
Critics argue relying on maternal immunisation alone leaves significant gaps in protection. Mothers must receive the vaccine at the right stage of pregnancy, and not all newborns receive the same level of immunity. In contrast, experts say, nirsevimab ensures direct and consistent protection for all treated infants.
RSV-related healthcare costs amount to nearly £65 million annually in the UK, with an additional £15.5 million in lost productivity and out-of-pocket expenses for families.
Dr. Simon Drysdale, a co-leader of the HARMONIE trial, emphasised the treatment’s impact: “The thousands of winter hospital admissions caused by RSV are highly distressing for families and place a huge burden on health services. This groundbreaking study shows the potential of nirsevimab to transform RSV prevention.”
RSV healthcare costs £65 million a year in the UK (Image: Getty)
Professor Damian Roland, a leading expert in child health emergencies from the University of Leicester said: “There is now compelling data to show using this antibody treatment will mean there are less children becoming seriously ill and there will be less burden on the health service and the intensive care unit at the very difficult time of winter. It is fantastic we finally have found a way of treating this virus which has been with us for a long time.”Last week (thurs 30 Jan) the UK Health Security Agency released data showing that its new maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine rolled out in September saw more than 1 in 3 women giving birth during the first month take up the offer.
The data from NHS GP practice records showed 33.6 percent of women who delivered in September had the RSV vaccine.
The most recent week-to-week data from the NHS in England shows that over 140,000 pregnant women have now been vaccinated since the programme launched in September.