New Hope for AFM: NIH Tests Experimental Monoclonal Antibody

A monoclonal antibody was developed from the blood of patients who were recovering.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding a clinical trial to assess the safety of a new monoclonal antibody aimed at treating enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). This virus can lead to severe respiratory and neurological conditions, including acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which is similar to polio. Researchers are diligently working to deepen their understanding of AFM, which has seen periodic surges in the U.S., typically every two years during the late summer, over the past decade.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified increases in AFM cases in 2014, 2016, and 2018. EV-D68 is a virus of growing public health concern due to its association with the intermittent AFM outbreaks.

There are no Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for severe EV-D68 infection or AFM. Standard care is limited to supportive treatment and treatment for immune disorders, which has not been comprehensively evaluated. EV-D68 likely spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or touches a surface that is then touched by others.