Swindon's Great Western Hospital will be one of ten sites across the South West playing a vital role in a new respiratory virus study looking into the leading cause of infant hospitalisation.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in all infants worldwide and affects 90% of children before the age of two.

In recent months, there has been a resurgence of RSV following the easing of COVID-19 public health measures.

The HARMONIE study will take place at ten sites in the region and is a collaboration between Sanofi, its partner AstraZeneca, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The study is evaluating the efficacy of nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody immunisation, in protecting against one of the leading causes of infant hospitalisation worldwide.

RSV often causes only mild illnesses, like a cold. However, for some babies, it leads to more severe lung problems such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

More than 20,000 infants across three countries (United Kingdom, France and Germany) will take part in the study, from August 2022 to March 2023.

Dr Simon Royal, primary investigator for the HARMONIE study, said: "We are delighted to be the first site in the world to recruit a participant into the HARMONIE study. This study will help us to find out how well a one-off injection protects babies from RSV. 

“RSV is a major cause of death and illness in children across the world and it is the most common reason for admission to hospital in children aged under one year in the UK.  

“We would encourage parents to support this important study, with the knowledge that they will be making an invaluable contribution to the health of babies now and in the future.”

Professor Andrew Ustianowski, national speciality lead for infection at NIHR Clinical Research Network, said: “By carrying out this widespread study, we can help discover how babies can be protected from such a common, yet potentially debilitating virus.

"Previous smaller studies of the antibody injection being used has shown nirsevimab has a good safety profile in babies, which will hopefully provide parents with confidence to take part in the study.”

Nirsevimab is an investigational long-acting antibody aiming to protect all infants from birth entering their first RSV season with a single dose.

Find out more about the study by visiting the HARMONIE website: https://rsvharmoniestudy.com/en-gb.