Palivizumab Injection: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Palivizumab Injection (palivizumab) is an antiviral monoclonal antibody given as a monthly injection to help prevent serious RSV lung disease in young children at high risk, such as those born prematurely or with certain heart or lung conditions. It is not a vaccine and does not treat RSV once a child is already infected.

What is Palivizumab Injection

Palivizumab is a man-made antibody that targets respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It is given as a monthly injection to help prevent serious RSV lung disease in young children who are at high risk, such as those born prematurely or with certain heart or lung conditions. It is not a vaccine and it does not treat RSV once a child is already sick.

Palivizumab Injection uses

• Prevention of serious lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in children at high risk of RSV disease
• Used in children less than 24 months old who are at high risk for RSV, including those born prematurely or with certain heart or lung diseases
• Not used to treat RSV symptoms once a child already has the infection

Benefits of Palivizumab Injection

• Helps prevent severe RSV infection in high-risk infants.
• Reduces the risk of RSV-related hospitalization.
• Helps protect eligible premature babies.
• Helps protect children with certain chronic lung conditions.
• Helps protect eligible children with certain congenital heart conditions.

How Palivizumab Injection works

Palivizumab is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to a part of the RSV virus called the F protein. By doing this, it stops the virus from entering and infecting cells in the lungs, which helps the immune system slow or stop the spread of the virus in the body.

Palivizumab Injection dosage

Palivizumab is given as an injection into the muscle of the thigh by a doctor or nurse. The first dose is usually given before RSV season begins, followed by a dose every 28 to 30 days throughout the season. RSV season usually runs from fall through spring (November through April) in most areas, but this can vary by location. If a child has certain heart surgery, an extra dose may be needed soon after surgery, even if it has been less than a month since the last dose. If a child gets RSV infection during treatment, scheduled injections should still continue. Continue the child's normal diet unless the doctor says otherwise. If an injection appointment is missed, call the doctor as soon as possible to reschedule.

Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist.

Available forms and strengths

• Powder for reconstitution (injection)
• Intramuscular solution

Side effects of Palivizumab Injection

Common

• Fever
• Rash
• Injection-site redness
• Injection-site swelling
• Diarrhea

Serious

• Hives, severe rash, itching skin
• Unusual bruising
• Groups of tiny red spots on the skin
• Swelling of the lips, tongue, or face
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficult, rapid, or irregular breathing
• Bluish-tinged skin, lips, or fingernails
• Muscle weakness or floppiness
• Loss of consciousness

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine should not be given to a child who has had a severe allergic reaction to it in the past.
• Tell the doctor if your child has ever had a low platelet count or any type of bleeding or blood clotting disorder, since caution is needed in these cases.
• Severe allergic reactions, including fatal cases of anaphylaxis, have been reported. If a reaction happens, treatment must be stopped for good and proper emergency medication given.
• This medicine is given only as a muscle injection into the outer thigh, not into the buttock muscle.
• This medicine can affect the results of certain RSV lab tests, so tell any doctor or lab staff that your child is using it.
• This medicine is not meant for use in women who could become pregnant. Breastfeeding has not been studied because the medicine is not meant for use in women who could become pregnant or breastfeed.
•  Avoid use if the child has a severe allergy to palivizumab. Seek urgent medical help for breathing difficulty, facial swelling, or other signs of a severe allergic reaction. 
• Use caution in children with bleeding disorders or low platelet counts. Tell the doctor about any current illness or medicines.

Storage

• Store in a refrigerator at 2°C–8°C.
• Do not freeze.
• Keep in the original carton to protect from light.
• Do not shake the vial.
• Keep out of reach of children.
• Use according to the product label after preparation.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if your child shows signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, severe rash or itching, rapid or difficult breathing, blue-colored lips, skin, or fingernails, muscle weakness, being hard to wake up, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call the doctor immediately or get emergency treatment if your child has severe rash, hives, or itching skin; unusual bruising; groups of tiny red spots on the skin; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; difficulty swallowing; difficult, rapid, or irregular breathing; bluish-tinged skin, lips, or fingernails; muscle weakness or floppiness; or loss of consciousness.
• In case of overdose, contact your local poison control center right away, and if the person has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or cannot be woken up, call emergency services immediately.

Alternatives

• Enflonsia
• Beyfortus