OM-85 in the Prevention of Recurrent Respiratory Infections in Children: State of the Art

Recurrent Respiratory Infections (RRIs) in the pediatric population have an important clinical and economic impact, which can be reduced through appropriate preventive measures, including immunomodulating agents, like bacterial lysates. This manuscript aimed to provide an overview of the clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of bacterial lysates in the prevention of RRIs in children, with a particular focus on OM-85 (Broncho Vaxom (R)) as well as to shed light on the concomitant use of OM-85 and vaccines as a successful strategy for reducing respiratory morbidity in the pediatric population. In children with RRIs, OM-85 treatment significantly reduce the number and duration of Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs), antibiotic courses and wheezing respiratory illnesses in young children. Its efficacy seemed to be more pronounced in children with more respira-tory infections. Moreover, OM-85 was effective and well tolerated when administered concomitantly with inactivated influenza vaccine. Due to its long-term efficacy and good safety profile, OM-85 can be recommended as a valid prophylactic approach for preventing RTIs in children, especially in cases where the incidence of the disease is high and attempts to eliminate contributing environmental factors have proven unsuccessful.