WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration says it had approved Xofluza, the first new flu drug to hit the market in decades.
Xofluza is a one-dose pill for the treatment of uncomplicated flu in people aged 12 and older who have had flu symptoms for no more than 48 hours, according to the FDA.
“This is the first new antiviral flu treatment with a novel mechanism of action approved by the FDA in nearly 20 years. With thousands of people getting the flu every year, and many people becoming seriously ill, having safe and effective treatment alternatives is critical. This novel drug provides an important, additional treatment option,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D.
A 2016 study in the U.S. and Japan showed the pill cut how long people had a fever from an average of 42 hours to just one day.
Genetech, the company who sells Xofluza, said the wholesale cost would be equivalent to Tamiflu’s price; a five-day supply of Tamiflu can cost up to $100.
While there are now “several FDA-approved antiviral drugs to treat flu”, they’re not a subsitute for the seasonal flu vaccine, Dr. Gottlieb said Wednesday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October. The CDC says the seasonal flu vaccine is one of the most effective and safest ways to protect yourself and others from the flu and flu-related complications.
(Photo by Zinkevych/iStock/Getty.)
