FDA advisers endorse new RSV antibody drug for babies

RSV is a seasonal virus that lands tens of thousands of young children in the hospital every year. On Thursday, advisors to the FDA voted in favor of approving a long-acting antibody that protects infants from RSV. (Christoph Soeder/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)

A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration have recommended that the agency approve a new antibody drug to protect infants from serious lung illnesses caused by respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV.

On Thursday, the panel voted in favor of FDA approval for the injectable antibody medication – called nirsevimab – after hours of testimony from the drugmaker AstraZeneca, FDA scientists and the public. The question before the panel was whether the benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks.