Doctors urging parents to support the HARMONIE Study

Doctors from across the West Midlands are asking parents of newborn babies, up to 12 months old, to support a new respiratory virus study.

The HARMONIE Research Study follows on from other completed research and looks at how strongly babies can be protected against serious illness from a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection by giving them a single antibody dose.

The antibody used in the study has recently been approved by both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

This preventative solution is the result of many years of research by Sanofi and AstraZeneca and has already been given to more than 3000 babies.

However, more research is needed to help find more options to combat RSV infections which are a leading cause of infant hospitalisation and serious illness in otherwise healthy babies.

Dr Lucy Martin – Joint Acting Medical Director at Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust said:

“For some babies, an RSV infection can cause severe problems and it is difficult to identify which babies will require medical care due to the unpredictability of the illness.

“The study we are conducting is being run from the Brierley Hill Health and Social Care Centre at the Research Hub within High Oak Surgery.  Anyone can take part, your baby doesn’t have to be a registered patient at High Oak.

“We would urge parents to reach out and take part – you can make a real impact on how RSV is managed in the future.”

For more information, or to take part in the study, please visit www.rsvharmoniestudy.com