A Feasibility Study of Xofluza Treatment of Influenza in Pediatric Transplant Recipients, Waitlisted Subjects and Household Members After Early Infection Alerting Using Wearable Devices

Influenza infections are a significant concern for the clinical management of transplant recipients, a highly vulnerable immunocompromised patient group. Early Influenza detection has major benefits for the successful treatment in that crucial early infection time window and allows for more timely mitigation measures to be employed. Xofluza® (Baloxavir Marboxil), FDA approved in 2018 for the treatment of acute Influenza, has been shown to have improved outcome characteristics versus Tamiflu® (Oseltamivir), as well as compliance (a single pill given once, versus 10 pills taken over 5 days for Oseltamivir). The timing of the influenza diagnoses and intervention greatly impacts the outcomes in both antiviral medications though. Smart wearable devices have demonstrated clear utility to detect early infection using physiological signatures such as sub-symptomatic increases in heart rate (HR) and body temperature. Detection of Influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been shown to be robustly detectable several days prior to clinical symptoms onset in large well-powered smartwatch studies.

This is a sub-study of the existing Institutional Review Board (IRB) # 20-017872 protocol: "Early Detection of SARS-CoV-2 & other Infections using Wearable Devices in Pediatric Transplant Patients and Household Members". This is a prospective, interventional, single-center study at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia comprising kidney, heart, liver and lung transplant recipients, waitlisted patients, and their household members. Subjects will wear smart wearable devices to monitor biometrics including HR, HR variation (HRV) and proxies of body temperature. A smart wearable device alert generated from a validated early infection detection algorithm and alerting platform, precipitates subjects to use an at-home collection kit for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A/B which is then sent to a central clinical lab for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnoses. If the transplant recipient is positive for Influenza A/B the local clinical care team will be informed to determine if Baloxavir and/or any other medication is warranted. Genentech will make the Baloxavir medication available via the CHOP transplant pharmacist through the recipients' regular pharmacy. If the non-transplanted household members are positive for Influenza or exposed to Influenza positive infected subject(s) their treatment will be determined by their own primary-care. All CHOP transplant recipients will have their medical records reviewed for relevant covariates and confounders after Baloxavir treatment. Study subjects will complete short daily REDCap symptom forms for the pre-, peri- and post-infection periods.