Dr Louis Bont
Effect of palivizumab on respiratory syncytial virus-associated burden of disease: a randomised controlled trial [Effect van palivizumab op lange termijn gevolgen veroorzaakt door het respiratoir syncytieel virus: een gerandomiseerde placebo-gecontroleerd onderzoek]
It is not known whether recurrent wheeze in preterm children is caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection (serial hypothesis) or that RSV infection is the first indication of chronic airway morbidity that would develop anyway (parallel hypothesis). This study aims to distinguish between these two hypotheses by investigating whether prevention of RSV (by palivizumab) results in decreased incidence of recurrent wheeze.
On 27/06/2014 the following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The study design was changed from 'Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled multicentre trial' to 'Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled multicentre trial with single-blind follow-up study 6 years hereafter'
2. The anticipated end date was changed from 01/04/2011 to 01/04/2017.
Medisch Ethische Toetsingscommissie (METC) of the Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, 21/07/2008
Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled multicentre trial with single-blind follow-up study 6 years hereafter
Primary study design
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis and post-bronchiolitis wheezing
Infants will receive one-monthly intramuscular palivizumab 15 mg/kg or placebo from discharge until the end of the RSV season with a maximum of five injections.
Primary outcome measures
Number of wheezing days during the first year of life.
Secondary outcome measures
1. Questionnaire-reported wheezing, health-related quality of life and health-economic consequences of RSV at age 1, 3 and 6 years
2. Nasopharyngeal swabs for viral analysis during the RSV season in case of a runny nose or mild cough. These samples will be tested for viruses, to determine if the child is infected with RSV and/or other viruses. It is emphasised that RSV infection is not part of the endpoint of this study.
3. Lung function at age 6 years
4. Questionnaire-reported asthma-related respiratory symptoms (ISAAC questionnaire) at age 6 years
Overall trial start date
Overall trial end date
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Healthy preterm infants
2. Gestational age between 32 and 35 weeks, either sex
3. Children of parents who master the Dutch language
Target number of participants
Participant exclusion criteria
1. A known cardiac anomaly, Down's syndrome or other serious congenital disorders
2. Require intensive respiratory treatment, defined as surfactant treatment or at least 2 weeks of mechanical ventilation
3. Greater than 6 months of age at the start of the RSV season, defined as 1st October of the year of birth
4. Airway morbidity before the start of the RSV season, monitored before the first injection
Recruitment start date
Recruitment end date
Countries of recruitment
Trial participating centre
University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU) (Netherlands)
c/o Prof. dr. E.A.M Sanders
Abbott International plc (UK) - no restrictions for publication of the research data
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Results - basic reporting
2013 results in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23656644
Blanken MO, Rovers MM, Molenaar JM, Winkler-Seinstra PL, Meijer A, Kimpen JL, Bont L, , Respiratory syncytial virus and recurrent wheeze in healthy preterm infants., N. Engl. J. Med., 2013, 368, 19, 1791-1799, doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1211917.