Nation faces shortage of key RSV drug ahead of peak season

High demand for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) drug Beyfortus has triggered a national shortage ahead of the winter season.

Manufacturer Sanofi announced on Tuesday that it was working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to distribute available doses of the drug through the Vaccines For Children Program (VFC), but that "unprecedented demand" had outpaced its "aggressive supply plan."

Nirsevimab, marketed as Beyfortus, is administered to young children and newborns to prevent RSV in newborns under 1 year old born during or just ahead of their first RSV season. It may also be administered to young children under two years old who are at risk of severe RSV. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Beyfortus in July.

RSV is typically seasonal in the U.S. and circulates during late fall and early winter.

The CDC has advised doctors to prioritize doses for the youngest of children and to stop giving it to kids aged 8-19 months, should they be eligible for a different treatment.

American Society for Health-System Pharmacists Senior Director of Pharmacy Practice and Quality Mike Ganio told Axios that the shortage appeared simply to be the result of Sanofi miscalculating demand for the drug.

"The manufacturer just didn't plan for the amount of demand that they're seeing," he said. "It is kind of strange that it's a new product — it's still on patent, obviously. It's pretty new and that's not typically what we see for a shortage."

Sanofi manufactured the drug in conjunction with AstraZeneca and is working with that firm to expand production in light of the shortage.

"We are working with our Alliance partner in charge of manufacturing, AstraZeneca, to accelerate additional supply and explore a number of actions to extend the manufacturing network," the firm stated.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.