Prevention of RSV Infections in Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients

Summary

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections are very common and widespread. By age 5, virtually everyone has been infected and developed antibodies against some strain of the virus. RSV infections happen during adulthood, leading to common cold syndromes. In Bone Marrow Transplant recipients the disease is much more severe, usually progressing to pneumonia. This phenomenon is associated with mortality rates around 60-80%. RSV Polyclonal Immunoglobulin (Respigam® (Registered Trademark)) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for prophylaxis of RSV disease in premature babies and children born with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Furthermore, it has been used to treat RSV pneumonia in children and Bone Marrow Transplant recipients with encouraging results and no complications. Currently, no preventive strategies are available when approaching this infection among bone marrow transplant patients. We intend to prevent our bone marrow transplant patients from developing RSV pneumonia by employing the strategy already used in premature babies, i.e., by passive immunization with Respigam® (Registered Trademark). Our goal to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this strategy in such immunocompromised population. We believe that this will be a more reasonable approach than waiting for the infection to settle in and only then treating it, because optimal therapy is not currently available.

Timeline

Start

1999-04

Primary completion

—

Completion

2001-05

Publications

• Background Whimbey E, Champlin RE, Couch RB, Englund JA, Goodrich JM, Raad I, Przepiorka D, Lewis VA, Mirza N, Yousuf H, Tarrand JJ, Bodey GP. Community respiratory virus infections among hospitalized adult bone marrow transplant recipients. Clin Infect Dis. 1996 May;22(5):778-82. doi: 10.1093/clinids/22.5.778.
• Background Wendt CH, Hertz MI. Respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus infections in the immunocompromised host. Semin Respir Infect. 1995 Dec;10(4):224-31.
• Background De Vincenzo JP, Leombruno D, Soiffer RJ, Siber GR. Immunotherapy of respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia following bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant. 1996 Jun;17(6):1051-6.

Drugs

Indications