Dive Brief:
- Roche’s antiviral drug Xofluza reduced influenza transmission among household contacts in a large Phase 3 study, the company said Wednesday.
- Treatment with a single dose of Xofluza within 48 hours of symptom onset lowered the likelihood an infected person passed on the virus to other individuals within the same household. Roche didn’t disclose detailed results in its press release.
- Xofluza is currently approved to treat flu symptoms and prevent infections after exposure to the virus. The new data bolster its benefits and, according to Roche, represent the first time an antiviral drug has reduced transmission of a respiratory virus in a global Phase 3 study.
Dive Insight:
Influenza is one of the most common infectious diseases, typically occurring in the fall and peaking in winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Infections can lead to more severe disease in young children, adults over the age of 65 and immunocompromised individuals. Over the past few years, the flu’s seasonal patterns have overlapped with the circulation of respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19.
Roche’s study involved more than 4,000 people between the ages of 5 and 64, both individuals diagnosed with influenza and those within their household. Infected individuals were given a single dose of Xofluza or a placebo, and investigators tabulated how many household contacts tested positive for the flu within five days. The study also measured how many of those who did test positive developed symptoms.
According to Roche, treatment was well-tolerated and no new safety signals were identified. Full data will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting in Australia.
The U.S. government helped fund the study and gave input into its design.
Xofluza competes in a market in which many preventive flu vaccines are available. Uptake among adults can be spotty, though — an issue companies like Moderna and Pfizer are trying to solve with new shots that target both flu and other respiratory illnesses.
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- Source: https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/roche-xofluza-flu-transmission-reduce-study-results/727491/