More supplies of the new RSV drug for infants are being made available

There is an update to the nationwide shortage of the new drug to protect infants this season against severe respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which is the leading cause of hospitalizations for babies younger than the age of one in the United States, according to the CDC.

"It's so fun to see him figure out things around him, and he’s found his hands recently," said Sarah Ball about her baby son Liam. "And he’s so happy!"

Ball is happy, too, that Liam, at 3-and-a-half months old, is getting the new drug, Beyfortus, to protect infants from severe illness during their first RSV season.

"He was born a couple weeks early and spent some time in the NICU,” she said. “The staff was wonderful at Rainbow taking care of him, but having your baby on oxygen is not something I’d prefer to have again.”

Ball is also a nurse practitioner at Senders Pediatrics in South Euclid, where Liam is also a patient, and knows firsthand how scary RSV can be for some children, especially more vulnerable ones like her son.

"We were eager to have some sort of protection for him," she said.

Beyfortus is a preventative monoclonal antibody injection. It is different than a vaccine, said Dr. Shelly Senders, and lasts five to six months and then disappears.

"The way that works is it coats the receptors in your body, and it prevents RSV from attaching to those receptors," said Senders.

The FDA approved Beyfortus this summer. Shipments went out in the fall, but the limited supply could not meet demand, and there was a nationwide shortage.

"When we got 50 doses, we were lucky, because many people in the country didn’t get any doses," said Senders.

He said there’s different dosing — generally, 50 mg for 0-2 months and 100 mg for 2-8 months, with a shortage for the latter.

"We probably need another 75 for that older group to protect everybody," he said of their patients. "We are still hopeful that some will come.”

There is new hope in Cleveland and nationwide, especially as RSV season picks up.

News 5 reached out to the drugmaker Sanofi for an update on the shortage.

Sanofi had previously communicated that no new orders of the 100 mg dose would be accepted.

However, in a statement, Sanofi now tells us, in part:

"Thanks to the support and partnership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more than 77,000 additional 100 mg doses have been made available for babies for this RSV season.

"These additional 100 mg doses are being equitably distributed through the Vaccines for Children Program and the private market on a limited basis. Remaining 50 mg doses will also continue to be distributed similarly on a limited basis in fulfillment of existing orders."

Sanofi will continue to update providers in the private market about the status of their orders and any potential availability of additional doses for shipment.

"We, along with our alliance partner AstraZeneca in charge of manufacturing, remain in close contact with the CDC and FDA to deliver doses for this RSV season," Sanofi stated.

It means more babies like Liam will be better protected.

Ultimately, Senders said he believes it means we will see fewer health conditions related to getting the respiratory infection in childhood, as well.

"What people don’t realize is that it’s not just protection against RSV, it’s really an opportunity to wipe out asthma," he said.

Senders said not to worry if you can’t get the RSV antibody injection this season. He said most children will do OK with RSV and encouraged parents to talk with their pediatricians.

Also, he says his office is part of a trial right now for an RSV vaccine for children that could be available next season.

There is no shortage of the RSV vaccine for pregnant women that provides babies with six months of RSV protection after birth.