The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert Monday in response to limited supplies of an antibody drug designed to protect infants from the respiratory disease RSV.
The update comes as RSV cases have started to rise in parts of the United States with the onset of cold and flu season, creating a conundrum for many pediatricians.
The drug company Sanofi said in a statement to The Washington Post that it is working closely with its manufacturing partner, AstraZeneca, to “accelerate additional supply.” The drug is available in two doses - 50 milligrams and 100 milligrams - depending on a child’s age and weight. The recommendations for the 50-milligram dose remain unchanged. But to ration the 100-milligram doses, the CDC advises suspending administration of nirsevimab to infants between 8 and 19 months unless they fall into certain categories the agency deems most vulnerable.
The shortage seems to be driven by two factors: the demand and the cost. Pharmaceutical companies attribute the shortfalls to surging need, whereas physicians say the cost of the drug is the primary factor. The private-sector cost for nirsevimab is $495 per dose, while the federally funded Vaccines for Children program pays $395 per dose, making it the most expensive shot administered to children.
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