Efficacy and Safety of Palivizumab as a Prophylaxis for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Disease: An Updated Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of palivizumab as a prophylaxis for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease. We searched MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, Embase, and Science Direct from inception till November 2023. Studies that assessed the efficacy and safety of palivizumab in infants aged between 28 days and three months of age were included. We analyzed the data using Review Manager 5.4 software, with results pooled across studies and expressed as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 10 studies were included. The effect estimates favored palivizumab over placebo regarding the hospitalization for RSV infection (RR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.65; P<0.00001) and ICU admission (RR=0.49, 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.81; P=0.005). On the other hand, the effect estimate showed no significant difference between palivizumab and placebo regarding all-cause mortality (RR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.42 to 1.15; P=0.16), lower respiratory tract infection (RR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.11 to 1.69; P=0.22), and need for mechanical ventilation (RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.34 to 1.67; P=0.48). Palivizumab can be considered a prophylaxis for RSV disease in young children as it is safe, well-tolerated, and effective in reducing RSV hospitalizations. However, further research through high-quality randomized controlled trials is required to determine its efficacy as a therapeutic agent for established RSV infections.