The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new antiviral influenza treatment.
The agency on Wednesday approved Genentech’s drug Xofluza, which can be taken via a single oral dose to help patients recover more quickly from the flu. It’s the “first new antiviral flu treatment with a novel mechanism of action approved by the FDA in nearly 20 years,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.
The main factor differentiating Xofluza from other antiviral flu treatments on the market, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, is the way it’s taken. Xofluza is the only antiviral that can be taken as a single oral dose. Tamiflu, for example, must be taken orally twice daily for five days, while Relenza is an inhaled powder.