(Reuters) -French drugmaker Sanofi said on Friday it was seeing an “unprecedented level” of demand for its antibody therapy to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of hospitalizations in infants. The therapy, branded Beyfortus, was approved in July to prevent RSV in infants and toddlers.
Before the approval of Sanofi’s drug, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum’s treatment, Synagis, was the only approved preventive therapy in the United States for high-risk infants.
Around 1% to 3% of children under 12 months of age in the country are hospitalized each year due to RSV, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Sanofi said it is working with AstraZeneca, which is responsible for manufacturing Beyfortus, to identify further solutions to meet surging demand.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
