The flu is rampant this year. In the future, it will be possible to stop the spread of the virus with a new, fast-acting drug.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17,000 people have been hospitalized in the United States since October 2017 due to influenza. A Japanese pharmaceutical company has announced that it has managed to create a drug that can kill the virus in just one day.
Patients in Japan and America who took part in recent trials of the Shionogi drug say they were able to clear the virus in 24 hours. In comparison, Roche's popular Tamiflu takes three times as long.
The drug from Shionogi and Tamiflu completely relieve the flu symptoms in about the same time, but after taking the first medication, the patient's condition improves faster. In addition, according to Shionogi representatives, only one dose of their drug needs to be taken to get the result, while Tamiflu should be taken twice a day for five days.
A Japanese company has created a flu medicine that is different from other drugs. The virus enters cells and forces them to produce viral particles instead of proteins, which are then spread throughout the body.
Thanks to existing methods of treatment, the virus cannot leave the infected cell and does not spread, and Shionogi's drug prevents the initial appearance of viral particles.
Researchers looking to find a way to fight the flu virus tend to tweak existing vaccines rather than inventing new ones. Be that as it may, the Shionogi project could be an important milestone in the fight against influenza, as the rapid destruction of the virus reduces the risk of spreading the disease.
According to the Wall Street Journal, regulatory authorities in Japan intend to approve the use of Shionogi as soon as possible, and the company will receive approval for further research in March. In the US, the drug will be sent for certification in the summer, but the company expects to receive a response no earlier than 2019.
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Anton Komarov