Mum in HARMONIE with clinical trial for RSV
A mum whose son has taken part in a clinical trial targeting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – the biggest cause of hospitalisation in children under five – is encouraging other parents to sign their children up.
Antoinette Martin’s son Raffy took part in the HARMONIE clinical trial, which is being run at Barts Health NHS Trust hospitals and others across London. The trial is looking at how well a vaccination called nirsevimab works to prevent babies and children from developing RSV, and if it helps reduce hospitalisations with the virus.
RSV is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in babies worldwide and affects 90% of children before the age of two. It often causes only mild illness, much like a cold. But, for some babies, it can cause more severe illnesses, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia, which often result in them being admitted to hospital.
In recent months, there has been a resurgence of RSV in London, with more children being hospitalised than in previous years. This is primarily due to a combination of Winter and the cold weather and the easing of COVID-19 public health measures.
Antoinette, a trainee GP who lives in Mile End, east London, wanted to protect Raffy after her daughter Eden was hospitalised by RSV last year. She explained: “Last winter, Eden developed a cough. By the fifth day of having the cough, she was getting worse, really trying hard to breathe and going blue. We drove her to The Royal London Hospital and the team there put her on oxygen straightaway. She was unwell for another five days before she came home. The team looking after her at The Royal London were fantastic, they really took the best care of her.”
Pictured: Antoinette, with her children Eden and Raffy
Speaking about enrolling her son Raffy to take part in HARMONIE, Antoinette said:
“I heard about it from a group of doctor friends. It was really easy to take part. I filled in an online form and within a day or so, the study team had already contacted me.We arranged a study visit, and this took place a couple of weeks ago. Raffy received the vaccine, which is great. He was monitored for 30 minutes afterwards and then we could go home. The study team was really friendly. It was my first experience of taking part in a clinical trial and it was definitely positive.”
The HARMONIE study is open to newborn babies, and babies who are up to 12 months old. The study will last approximately 12 months and includes a single in-person visit, with entirely virtual follow-up visits.
To find out more about other research being carried out by Barts Health NHS Trust, visit their website and that of Barts Life Sciences.
The HARMONIE trial is a collaboration between Sanofi, its partner AstraZeneca, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).