Something New for Flu...Whew!

First New Flu Med in Twenty Years

(You have to read "pharma news" to find stuff like this. I do.)

U.S. Availability by Christmas - maybe

(Available in Japan now)

I wich I wad Japudeez

Baloxavir marboxil is a medication developed by Shionogi Co., a Japanese pharmaceutical company, for treatment of influenza A and influenza B. The drug was approved for use in Japan in February 2018 and is in late phase trials in the United States as of early 2018. Drugbank.ca

That's an accelerated approval track. Roche's Genentech* bought the license from Shionogi, so the FDA put their approval on a "fast track."

– If approved, baloxavir marboxil would be the first oral, single-dose antiviral and the first medicine with a novel proposed mechanism of action to treat the flu in nearly 20 years – BusinessWire.com  One of it's great benefits is cutting down on how contagious we are ("viral shedding")!

Since we are all just waiting for the next Worldwide Pandemic, having another bullet in our arsenal is GREAT NEWS!

(It will probably expen$ive.  Twenty year old Tamiflu costs over $100 for 10 pills)

In short... HOORAY!

Strange Aside

Did You Know Placebos Have Side Effects?
"Overall, baloxavir marboxil was generally well tolerated with lower overall incidence of adverse effects (20.7%) versus the placebo (24.6%) or Tamiflu (24.8%)  MDmag.com"



*Roche bought Genentech $46.8 billion in 2009


Flu cartoon credit