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For the first time in 20 years, there will be anew flu drugon the market.
The Food and Drug Administration announced on Wednesday that they approved a new antiviral drug, called baloxavir marboxil, which will be sold as Xofluza.
Xofluza is only approved for people aged 12 or older, and who have beenfeeling the symptoms of the flufor no more than two days.
Patients need just one dose of Xofluza, which will cost $150, Genentech, the manufacturer,told theNew York Times, but they plan to offer coupons that bring the price down to $30 for people with insurance, and about $90 for those who are uninsured.
Genentech
Currently, most doctors prescribe oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, to patients with the flu. But, as with most flu medications, the drug loses effectiveness as the flu builds up a resistance, and Tamiflu does not cure the flu very quickly. The drug is also costly, and can be anywhere from $100 to $350 based on the patient’s location.
But unlike past flu medications, Xofluza is formulated to block the enzyme that the flu uses to copy itself and spread, so it should be able to fight against strains of the flu that are resistant to the other drugs on the market.
However, experts still expect Xofluza to lose its potency over time as the flu builds up a resistance to the drug.
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“When treatment is started within 48 hours of becoming sick with flu symptoms, antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten the time patients feel sick,” Dr. Debra Birnkrant, the director of the Division of Antiviral Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said. “Having more treatment options that work in different ways to attack the virus is important because flu viruses can become resistant to antiviral drugs.”
Xofluza’s approval comesas the 2018-2019 flu season starts to ramp up. Several states, including Florida, New York and Connecticut, havereported the first deaths in their area of the season. Gottlieb emphasized that while new flu drugs are helpful for treatment, the best way tofight the flu is with vaccination.
source: people.com
