news/AZN/2023.02.21/AstraZeneca reports protection against RSV in infants with Beyfortus .txt

(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Tuesday said Beyfortus continues to show consistent protection against respiratory syncytial virus in infants. RSV is a contagious virus that causes respiratory illness in infants, including lung infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.The Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical firm said it will showcase new data across its vaccines and immune therapies RSV portfolio at the ReSViNe conference in Lisbon, Portugal on Wednesday and Thursday.Astra said the data which feature Beyfortus and Synagis will reinforce its commitment to help protect infants from RSV. Beyfortus and Synagis are used to prevent lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in newborns.The company said the findings are from the Phase III 'Melody' clinical trial investigating Beyfortus, also known as nirsevimab, which is a long-acting antibody designed to protect all infants through their first RSV season wit a single dose.Iskra Reic, Astra's executive vice president for Vaccines & Immune Therapies, said: "I am proud of AstraZeneca’s commitment to respiratory syncytial virus and our continued focus on innovating antibodies to provide protection to the most vulnerable. We believe that Beyfortus has the potential to transform the medical community’s approach to preventing RSV infections in infants, and this is of particular importance given the recent surges of the virus amongst infants this past winter season."Astra added that a new Canadian analysis showed Synagis, or palivizumab, to be highly cost-effective. Shares were up 0.8% at 11,626.00 pence each on Tuesday morning in London. By Xindi Wei, Alliance News reporterComments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.comCopyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.