PseudoB, Respigam has one big problem, it needs to be intravenously
infused for a period of 4 to 8 hours. Many places need to do a full
hospital overnight stay (even more expensive) and others are trying
ambulatory units (sometimes more staff) and they need several dosis.
But they have good results and many are reporting it after marketing.
There is some talk from the company about making the immnune globulin
a single shot IM for the next fall season.
Just out in Pediatrics a trial in sick children (not prophylaxis)
do not showed good results, only a tendency to improved children.
Ribavirin is not worhty, very expensive and not effective. But ICN has
very strong marketing, I am tired of their papers coming again and
again. It will eventually disappear for RSV treatment. They are trying
to resurrect it for Hepatitis C, but in combination with Interferon. I
have not seen any published paper on it only the company PR.
Monoclonal antibody for prevention, MEDI-493, I do not know from which
company is it same Medimmune?, probably then that is the single shot form.
if it is from the same people probably will be good. Reimbursement is quite
good right now despite the need for a full day of work. If the new one
comes out they will be able to charge same or even more. The neonatal
market for prevention is not so big if only high risk groups ar included,
but if one is able to make the case for the whole newborn population then
it will be very profitable. For this last case to happen it is not very
tough, but it will create problems with existing and already crowded
vaccine schedule. But it is probably the number one cause of hospitalization
in the first two years of life, at least during the fall/winter season.
ATLC is working on an antiviral for RSV, but only preclinical work so far
and they are not a very well capitalized company.
Aviron is probably working or will work on a vaccine, nasal spray like
their influenza work (the latter is well advanced with one good PIII out,
and 4 ongoing this season). AVIR stock price up recently probably with
the Hong Kong bird flu worries. |
