Development and Use of Palivizumab (Synagis): a Passive Immunoprophylactic Agent for RSV

Palivizumab (Synagis; Abbott Laboratories), a humanized, monoclonal antibody, prevents lower respiratory tract infection by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV causes significant morbidity and mortality in young children worldwide and is particularly severe in pre-term infants, children with cardiopulmonary disease, and the immunosuppressed population. The first such genetically engineered agent to be used effectively against a human infectious disease, palivizumab significantly reduces the number of hospitalizations caused by RSV in high-risk infants. This article reviews the preclinical development and clinical experience of palivizumab.